Dueling Hokages
by Detective Ethan Redfield
Summary: After Itachi killed his clan, Sasuke came up with an idea: become Hokage and use the village resources to hunt down his brother. Meanwhile, Naruto also wants to become Hokage to protect his precious people. Two legends will be born, the dueling Hokages
1. Prologue

**Dueling Hokages**

**Disclaimer: As much as I enjoy Naruto, I don't own it. I'd like to also thank Stalker of Stories. She's a very good Beta Reader. **

**Prologue: I Will Become Hokage!**

**(Konoha Ninja Academy, 7 years after the Kyuubi Attack)**

Sasuke stared forward at Iruka, who stood in front of the grand Hokage mountain. He was thinking about home, how his father had been so proud of him in mastering the Goukakyuu no Jutsu. His big brother, Itachi, didn't seem such a far away goal now that he had surpassed him in how long it took him to master it. He frowned, remembering what happened over the last couple days.

The relationship between Itachi and the rest of the clan had been deteriorating. It had been exacerbated by Shisui's death and the accusation that it was Itachi's fault.

There was a cool breeze that blew overhead. His hair ruffled in the wind, and the lecture began, "Alright class, who can tell me about the Hokages?"

A blond haired student shouted loudly, "Iruka-sensei, the Hokages are the best of the best ninja who lived in Konoha."

The chuunin smiled, "That's right, Naruto. Now, who can tell me about the Yondaime Hokage?"

Another student raised her hand, "S-sensei… U-uh… The Y-Y-yondaime was the o-one who fought and k-killed the Kyuubi during its rampage."

"That's also right, Hinata. He and the ninja of Konoha fought back against the beast. The Yondaime sacrificed his life to end the demon's rampage."

Iruka looked around, seeing Sasuke not paying attention and shouted, "SASUKE! PAY ATTENTION!"

Sasuke looked up, startled, and spoke, "R-Right Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka looked at the boy, "OK, Sasuke, tell me what the Hokage's duties are."

Sasuke thought for a second, "The Hokage assigns missions to the jounin, chuunin and genin. Furthermore, he is in charge of the ANBU black ops. Their mission is to protect Konoha from all threats, both within and without."

* * *

Naruto looked at Sasuke with irritation. He raised his hand and shouted, "Iruka-sensei, he's also in charge of protecting all the citizens in the village! He has to be willing to put his life on the line!"

The blond academy student looked pleased with himself, _take that, Sasuke!_

The Uchiha looked his way for a second, and then returned to his quiet contemplative pose. Iruka looked impressed, "Well done Sasuke, Naruto. I take it that you're interested in the position?"

Sasuke looked up in surprise while Naruto just beamed at Iruka. Naruto was first, "That's my goal, to become the greatest Hokage! You'll all see; I'll surpass them all! Then everyone will have to acknowledge me."

The rest of the children laughed at Naruto, who had been held back in his first year twice. **(1)** Sasuke thought about it for a second. The blond academy student's words ran through his head, _Acknowledge me, acknowledge me. If I become Hokage, father and big brother will have to acknowledge me. After I retire, then I'll take over the Police department!_

Sasuke spoke up in a soft but powerful voice, "Yes I would, Iruka-sensei. That is an admirable goal." He looked at Naruto, and smiled. Naruto looked back, shocked, and returned it.

Little did they know how important this lecture would become to them in the years to come.

* * *

Sasuke walked back to the compound, wanting to tell his mother his new goal. _Father would probably not be very pleased that I'm not following after him in the Police department._

It was late, and the lights were off everywhere. He was running down a side alleyway when a sudden burst of killer intent stopped him in his tracks. In the corner of his eye, someone was standing on top of the power transmission tower. His eyes turned to where sensed the figure crouching, but he wasn't there.

It was then he realized something was strange. It wasn't late enough that the clan would be in bed, so why were the lights all off? He raced down another alleyway into another street, where kunai and shuriken were left, still stuck in the buildings. Another alley held the bodies of his aunt and uncle who always greeted him as he entered the compound.

Another thought came to mind which caused his body to grow cold in terror. He didn't remember going to his house, but his mind finally caught up just in time to see his father and mother sprawled on the ground with gashed sword marks on their backs. Out of the shadows, Itachi materialized.

Sasuke shouted, "Brother! Father and Mother… they're… who could have done this?!"

A throwing star was his response. The weapon hit against the wall, grazing his skin in the process. Sweat began trickling down his forehead in fear, "W-w-what… what is this… Big brother?! I don't understand!"

The truth revealed itself to him in seconds as Itachi calmly explained it to him, "Foolish little brother."

The words were foreign to Sasuke. They stood apart on the blood-soaked wooden floor. For the first time, Sasuke saw Itachi's blade, dripping blood. His father and mother must have just recently died. Sasuke's eyes met Itachi's. The blood red sharingan transformed into a triple bladed shuriken.

In less than an instant, Sasuke saw his family's death over, and over, and over again. It was too much for Sasuke's eyes.

When he awoke moments later, Sasuke lay in a pool of puke, drool and tears. "Why, big brother? Why did you betray our family… why did you betray our village, or Hokage, everyone!!"

There was a sudden burst of killer intent, and then it relaxed. Itachi looked at his pathetic younger with pity, "To test my limits."

At his next statement, he closed his eyes with some sadness, "It was necessary."

"Test… your limits…? You betrayed us all… for that reason? You killed… everyone… to test your limits?!"

He picked himself up and ran at Itachi screaming, "You're insane! Don't screw with me!"

Itachi opened his eyes and slammed his fist deep into Sasuke's gut. Sasuke collapsed again, throwing up in the process. He muttered, "Today… was supposed to be a good day. I was going to announce to mother that… I was going to become Hokage…"

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise. Sasuke never mentioned that he wanted to become Hokage! But now… if only he had thought of it also. He might have avoided having to kill the clan… but it was already too late.

Sasuke whimpered, "I don't… I don't want… to die!"

He pulled himself up and ran out the door shouting, "I don't want to die!!"

Itachi appeared in front of the academy student. The two stared at each other. Then, Sasuke collapsed in a genjutsu slumber.

* * *

**(Six hours later)**

Naruto was walking through the village, on his way to his next big prank. Several of the passing villagers gave him a cold look of hatred and then turned back to their conversation, "Did you see that the Uchiha compound is all taped up? What do you think happened?"

The unknowing Kyuubi container stopped as he listened in on the conversation.

"I heard that the clan was wiped out last night by one of their own."

"Who could have killed off the entire police force?"

Naruto heard enough and began running. He made it to the compound in under 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the ANBU were scouring the place. Old man Hokage looked to the remains with a sobering glance. Then, his face lit up a bit as he sensed Naruto's approach, "Naruto, I must insist that you stay back."

"Old man, what's going on here?"

Sarutobi looked at the compound once again with disappointment, "The Uchiha clan was massacred here last night."

Naruto looked at the compound with wide eyes, "Everyone… including Sasuke…?"

Sarutobi brightened up a bit at Naruto's mention of Sasuke, "No, Sasuke was the only survivor."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at the clan gates again.

Sarutobi thought about the clan and his failed attempts at diplomacy. The council was unmoving in their orders to have the Uchiha clan wiped out. It was only at Itachi's request that Sasuke would be spared. In exchange, Itachi was ordered to kill the clan and flee as a missing Nin.

The Hokage's musings ended as Naruto tugged on his coat, "Old man. Where is Sasuke right now?"

"Sasuke is resting at a nearby hospital. He's still unconscious. I'll tell you when he wakes up. You can talk to him then. It won't help if you go see him now."

Naruto, however, was already on his way to see Sasuke at the hospital. Sarutobi could only smile. _This is the future Hokage of Konoha. I have a feeling that he might just be able to do it. I'm rooting for you, Naruto._

* * *

**(2 Days later, Uchiha compound)**

Sasuke walked through the deserted compound, unsure what he was looking for. Some sign, a glimmer of hope that what had happened didn't happen perhaps. There were chalk outlines where his entire family had been killed.

Itachi spared no one; the old, young, men, women children, they all died. It was too much for the young Uchiha. One thing did grate on the boy's mind, how had Itachi managed to wipe out the greatest clan that ever existed.

It was then that he came across another shuriken, different from the one his brother used. He pocketed it for later examination.

_Flashback_

_Itachi looked at his brother and said, "Sasuke, you also have the potential to unlock the Mangekyou Sharingan. If you do, you would be the third living person to have obtained it."_

_End flashback_

Sasuke suddenly realized what he was looking for, the third surviving Uchiha. Someone else was living, somewhere. Perhaps Itachi was looking for him as well? Maybe he had already found him and asked for assistance in destroying the clan. So many questions, and he had no way of finding the truth.

Then, Iruka's lecture came back to him as he made his way to the lake, where he had mastered the grand fireball jutsu. He looked at the reflection of himself and began thinking, _I need more information on what happened here. Only the Hokage would be able to give him the information._

Earlier that day, however, the Hokage had refused to give him the file about the clan massacre. It was classified, and Sarutobi told him that he needed to be an ANBU to be able to view the file.

Sasuke argued that he needed the file now, or Itachi might get further away that much faster. Little did he know that that was Sarutobi's plan. The old man needed him to infiltrate a new criminal organization which had been rising in the world.

Sasuke pouted as he looked at his own reflection. Itachi's face appeared over his own. Sasuke glared at it and kicked the water, _Fine. Then I'll hate you, despise you. I'll go into the depths of evil itself if necessary to kill you. I won't stop at anything._

He stood up and shouted across the waters, "I'm going to become the Godaime Hokage! With the village at my command, I'll kill you Itachi!!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was across town, waiting outside the Hokage's office, contemplating what it means to lose a family member, or even a friend. He realized that it would be terrible. He contemplated losing someone like Iruka or Mizuki, who were both fairly kind to him. **(2)**

Naruto decided right then and there to change why he wanted to become Hokage. He vowed once again to become Hokage, the strongest ninja in the village, and protect everyone in it. That way, no one would ever have to feel the same loneliness and pain Sasuke was feeling.

**

* * *

**

**(Read and Review)**

And thus began what would come to be known as the tale of the Dueling Hokage. A tale where two ninjas fight for the title of the greatest Ninja in Konoha. Will they tear Konoha in two in the process… or is this the beginnings of two new legends?

I thought of this story a couple nights ago when I was looking for a good Sasuke Uchiha story. Sadly, ones I like are few and far between. Inspiration struck, what if Sasuke also wanted to become Hokage? And here it is, the first chapter of Dueling Hokages.

Important notes:

**(1)** In this story instead of Naruto failing the graduation exam twice, he was held back in the first year twice for his antics as a prankster.

**(2) **Yes, Mizuki. Mizuki is still acting nice to Naruto.


	2. The Beginning of Two Legends

**Dueling Hokages**

**Disclaimer: As much as I enjoy Naruto, I don't own it. I'd like to also thank Stalker of Stories. She's a very good Beta Reader.**

**Chapter 1: The Beginning of Two Legends  
**

**(Next Morning)**

Naruto's clock rang loudly. The academy student rubbed his eyes sleepily and pulled himself up. He turned to the calendar and quickly realized just what day it was. It was tuesday, which meant ramen special, buy one bowl of Tonkatsu Ramen, get one bowl free. He grinned widely and pulled himself out of bed. He clothed himself in his usual white shirt and black pants, then grabbed his shuriken and kunai set and walked out the door.

Naruto didn't live too far away from the Ramen Stand, which was good because he absolutely loved the place. Teuchi and Ayame both greeted the academy student warmly. Two bowls of Tonkatsu Ramen were quickly served and devoured in a matter of minutes. The owners looked fondly at the boy, as he was always on time for this. As Naruto slurped up the last of the brooth, he paid for the bowls and departed.

Ten minutes later, Naruto arrived at the ninja academy. Class would begin in a bit over an hour, and he wanted to get a head start on practicing his kata. However, he was having problem with his form. The three areas that he was graded lowest on were the written exam, taijutsu and ninjutsu, most commonly a clone. So, he would need Mizuki's help. Mizuki was the taijutsu and ninjutsu teacher, so the chuunin would be the first person to talk to.

Once he got inside, he noticed the only teacher present was Iruka. Iruka was a harsh teacher, but he knew his stuff. So Naruto walked to the teacher's desk and muttered, "Iruka-sensei, you know I've failed to pass the academy once already, right? I'd like your help in tutoring me."

Iruka looked surprised at the genin in front of him. Naruto never came up for assistance, and now the kid was coming to him? He looked at the boy and examined him for a second. The boy was a chronic prankster. Earlier this year, he even abandoned class with Chouji, Shikamaru and Kiba. Ninja were typically suspicious types, so Iruka looked oddly at Naruto, trying to find the hints that he might be in the process of pulling a prank on him. However, the only thing he could see in the boy's eyes was a genuine desire to become a better ninja.

"What brought this change in attitude, Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked, still a bit guarded. Naruto looked at the floor and whispered something. Iruka leaned in closer and said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch that."

Naruto's face scrunched in annoyance, "I-I need to get better, because two days ago, Sasuke was nearly killed by Itachi... and... well... I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT PEOPLE LIKE HIM AS HOKAGE!"

At that point, Iruka's expression changed again. There was still a lot of confusion, but something else was mixed in... kindness and understanding. He spoke in an astonished tone, "You really want to protect those closest to you?"

Iruka saw a small fire in the boy's eyes. He looked down at the table, unsure how to handle this. The boy certainly had a resolve that was never present before. However, given his past history... could the teacher believe in the boy? For all he knew, it could be the beginnings of one of Naruto's more elaborate pranks. Then, he remembered his own history. His parents dying, fighting the Kyuubi, his grades slipping because no one looked at him, and his own prankster days. Iruka smiled to himself and closed his eyes. He would not be where he was at if it wasn't for the Sandaime talking to him at the memorial stone that day.

Iruka opened his eyes and looked at Naruto. "Naruto, I'd be glad to assist you in your classes. But you must be committed to following through. Are you willing to spend time after and before class learning how to be a ninja?"

Naruto nodded hard. With that, Iruka took the boy to the field and began tutoring him in taijutsu.

* * *

Sasuke arrived at the academy ten minutes before class was scheduled to begin. He pulled out the picture of his two parents together. He gritted his teeth as he put it back and entered the classroom. A few teachers were walking around the area. However, as Sasuke slid open the door to his classroom, he noticed Iruka was nowhere to be seen. He closed the door and took a seat in the middle section near the left wall.

As he rested, the dark haired Uchiha thought long about methods he could use to eliminate his brother. He couldn't use poisons, because with Itachi's training, the traitor had built up an immunity to most of them. It was standard procedure to immunize ANBU against most commonly used poisons, viruses, and bacteria. Sneak attacks would be difficult, because he had honed his senses to the highest level. As a kid when Sasuke watched Itachi's kunai training, the jounin had detected him without so much as seeing him.

His musings ended when Iruka entered the room with a sweating Naruto. Sasuke looked at his fellow classmate and thought, _He was the other one who answered the Hokage question. He also desires the position of Hokage. However, that is my destination. There's nothing to worry about. If I recall correctly, he was in the bottom 10 percent of the class._

That day, the class was lectured by Asuma on the art of strategy and tactics. Within fifteen minutes, the jounin turned around, threw a piece of chalk at Shikamaru, who was out cold. Sasuke smirked to himself, _That guy will be no help at all. I wouldn't be surprised if he failed the next exam. However..._ His gaze came to rest on Shino Aburame, who seemed to be taking better notes than anyone else in class.

Naruto, meanwhile took careful notes on the different formations that could be used by various teams. Formations, battlefield strategies, Naruto took notes on all he could understand. Actually, within ten minutes of class beginning, he was totally lost. Some of the concepts he got from last year as he escaped the chuunin who constantly chased him around. Whatever he didn't understand, he wrote down and vowed to have Iruka-sensei explain to him in greater detail.

* * *

The last part of the day covered taijutsu. Mizuki looked over his students and came to rest on Naruto. He said, "OK, class. Today we're going to have some group sparring. Naruto-kun, since you are the repeat student, you'll probably understand this stuff a bit better than the rest. So, I'm going to have you and... let's see... Sasuke-kun."

Naruto looked a bit surprised at Mizuki, but didn't counter what Mizuki said. Truth was, his taijutsu forms sucked terribly. Iruka was extremely disappointed in Mizuki overlooking such obvious flaws in his form. Naruto stepped into the ring with his younger classmate. Both Naruto and Sasuke took the correct forms.

This surprised Mizuki, because last year, Naruto didn't even get this right. The boy had practiced the wrong form for hours, but now was showing the right stance? However, as the match begin, Mizuki's shock wore off as a smile slid on his face. Naruto's form was still terrible. He reacted badly to the slightest provocation. His guard was full of holes. Meanwhile, Sasuke's form was impeccable as he tore into Naruto. At the last moment, however, another surprise hit Mizuki. Sasuke swung his foot in for an overhead strike, which Naruto managed to block. It wa the first time the student had succeeded in blocking a single attack.

Mizuki stepped in and said, "Very good Sasuke-kun. Naruto-kun, you need to practice a lot more. The rest of you, pair up together. Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, please find your partners."

Sasuke walked out of the ring with a calm demenor on his face. There was no challenge in besting Naruto. He was the worst student in class after all. The definite Rookie of the Year walked over to Shino. The two nodded at each other, deciding they would be partners. Naruto, meanwhile, ended up facing Shikamaru, who was simply looking at the clouds. Naruto looked at him oddly.

The light blue-haired chuunin watched as the spars commenced. Shikamaru didn't move around too much. He simply dodged Naruto's attacks and kept watching the clouds. After a while of doing that, the blond student shouted for Mizuki's assistance. He ignored Naruto as much as he could. Finally, he gave up and went to see Naruto's problem. After watching, Mizuki gave bad advice and showed him how to perform the attack Kata. Shikamaru tilted his head sideways and muttered something. Both Naruto and Mizuki looked at him. Mizuki said "What did you say, Shikamaru-kun?"

"Che, you're doing it wrong. Attacking in such a way will leave you open for counterattack by any decent foe. I could have struck you time and time again. Such a thing would be too much a hassle."

Mizuki flinched back and walked away. Naruto just looked surprised at the Nara, "How did you know that?"

"I have no choice but to watch the Taijutsu. I don't have to do anything to do that, and I have a decent memory."

"I see. Then could you show me the correct way of doing it?" Naruto looked hopeful, but Shikamaru shot him down,

"Too troublesome. I'd rather watch the clouds drift by."

Naruto looked to the clouds. He then looked back at Shikamaru and muttered, "You're just lazy."

"Shut up."

* * *

After Mizuki stopped watching Naruto, he went over to Sasuke. The chuunin couldn't help but be caught up in raw talent the Uchiha kid was displaying. However, there were mistakes being made here and there. A slightly off punch, a wasted motion here, and putting too much weight on one or the other leg. He walked over and worked with the Shino and Sasuke for a good portion of the class.

Once class had ended, Mizuki called Sasuke over for a moment, "You have some impressive talent there, Sasuke-kun. After classes end, I'd like to tutor you, help correct the minor errors in your form and such. They are there, even if they are hard to see."

Sasuke looked at the chuunin, considering his offer. Then he thought of Naruto's bad form, "Why don't you correct Naruto's form? He needs the help a lot more than I do."

Mizuki gritted his teeth, but forcibly relaxed, "Naruto-kun's problem is a bit deeper than that. He doesn't practice as much as he should. You, however, have some impressive skills. I'd like to see the culmination of that talent."

Sasuke considered it hard, and then said, "No, that's not necessary. For what I plan to accomplish, I'll need greater skills than mastery of genin level taijutsu."

As he walked away, Sasuke put both hands in his pockets. Mizuki walked with him for a moment, "If you ever change your mind, I'll be more than glad to tutor you."

* * *

After classes had ended, Naruto walked with Shikamaru back to his house, talking about all manner of things: Ramen, friends, strategy and clouds. Naruto wasn't going to be tutored that afternoon because Iruka was called away to the Hokage tower. Overall, Naruto did most of the talking. Shikamaru just walked along silently, looking up at the sky. After the two arrived, the blond student bid farewell and turned to walk away.

Behind him, Shikamaru said, "Better watch out for Mizuki. I don't think he likes you."

Naruto turned and shouted, "What?!!! Mizuki's always been kind to me, why would you-"

The lazy genius turned and muttered, "Didn't you see? He purposely showed you how to perform the kata wrong. Don't you think it odd that the taijutsu instructor showed you an incorrect form?"

Naruto thought about it. His eyes widened in realization and his teeth gound together, "Teme..."

Shikamaru turned to enter the clan compound. He smirked slightly, _I look forward to hearing about what prank you'll do to Mizuki for that. Naruto Uzumaki, eh? Troublesome, but might be interesting._

* * *

Thus, the days continued much as the last one. Eventually, the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. Naruto continued to work with Iruka on his abysmal Taijutsu. It was slow, but progress was being made. Progress had to be made, with Naruto typically practicing three hours a day at school, an hour at home and he was at the very bottom of the class. Meanwhile, the boy's relationship with Mizuki steadily deteriorated. Mizuki tried to beat the incorrect forms into Naruto, while Naruto paid less and less attention to the instructor.

Shikamaru found it kinda funny, watching a teacher go into epileptic fits of rage when the rest of the class wasn't paying attention. Mizuki had to show him a good form here and there whenever Shikamaru was supposedly watching. However, what he didn't know was that Naruto had convinced Shikamaru to watch him all the time, noting what were the bad forms he was being taught and informing Naruto about them.

Mizuki, in payment for all the hard and loving work he put into his teaching, became Naruto's permanent pranking victim. And as Naruto's study habits improved (even more slowly than his improvement in taijutsu), his abilities in dodging the pursuing chuunin became even better. He was still caught every time, but the chases lasted longer each time (often by a mere second or minute per month).

Meanwhile, Sasuke spent all the time after school studying his family scrolls. The Mangekyou Sharingan would be more of a long term goal rather than a short term one. Instead, he focused on Fire jutsu. He had already mastered that Gokakyu no jutsu (grand fireball), so he focused on the next one on the list. The Hosenka no jutsu (phoenix fireball technique) was simple in theory. Several small fireballs would be produced in rapid succession. The scroll revealed that he could also hide kunai, shuriken and other weapons just in case someone managed to dispel the technique. If the attack hit, the target would have taken more damage.

The trick to the jutsu was instead of expelling all the chakra accumulated in his mouth at once, Sasuke had to do it in short bursts. There was no easier exercise than that one. After that one, he worked on Ryuuka no jutsu (Dragon flame technique).

As the days passed, his acquaintance with Shino grew. Shino was quiet, relaxed. He was always watching everyone around him, calculating and studying them. The student was true shinobi material. Both pushed each other to excel to new hights of skill. Mizuki often stood around their group, showing flaws in their techniques as they developed.

* * *

With that, the first year of the Academy ended. Naruto was still in the lower 25 percent of the group, but it was a major improvement from being dead last. Sasuke took the first place in the year. His parents would have been so proud, if they were still alive. The teachers informed the rest of the students to keep practicing over the fall break to maintain their skills.

Iruka set about closing down the classroom for the fall, cleaning the chalkboard and disposing of the leftover papers and junk littered about the room. He got to one desk and saw that Naruto was still in his seat, looking almost expectantly at the chuunin. Iruka was even more surprised at this, "What are you still doing here, Naruto-kun? You should be out, enjoying time with your friends and loved ones."

Naruto looked at the door and muttered, "Where should I go? There's no one waiting for me back at home."

The student missed the teacher flinching. He said, "But that's not the reason I stuck around. Sensei, I'd like to continue my lessons over the summer, one hour, twice a day as usual!"

Iruka sighed, "Naruto-kun, the summer is also the time off for the teachers. During the year, we have to spend time preparing lessons, grading papers, keeping students in line, and cleaning up the rooms so that you all can come here. Sometimes, I wonder if you realize just what goes into a teacher's job. It's not a walk in the park, you know."

Naruto looked downtrodden at that. He stood up and walked for the door sadly. The chuunin shouted, "Hey! Hold up there. I didn't say I wouldn't do it. It may be my time off, but I must also train every day as well. What do you say you meet me on the days that I do train? I'll work with you there as I practice. Then, maybe we can enjoy some Ramen afterwards."

Naruto stopped. His body started shaking as he slowly turned around. There were tears streaming down his face, tears of joy. He nodded and threw himself at Iruka, hugging him hard. Iruka sighed, _Well, I guess this is alright. Maybe I can get him to stop pranking people as well. Those letters from the angry civilians were piling up._ **(1)**

* * *

There were many different training grounds scattered throughout Konoha. One was a more rocky region with some cliffs and small mountains. This was just above the Hokage monument. There were a few open grounds in the southeast corner of the village for fighting in plains areas. There was the monument training ground which was right next to the ninja monument, containing several terrains including a lake and river, and lastly there were a number of forest training grounds, such as the Forest of Death. Sasuke had travelled a great distance to find a secluded enough training ground where his fangirls would never find him.

_Those clueless fangirls should figure it out, _Sasuke thought as he threw several kunai, _being a ninja is not a game, nor is it a way to get a date. It's serious, so why don't they just grow up!? _

Several bullseyes had been set up throughout the forest on different trees. He raced through the leaves, scattering them in all directions as his kunai were thrown in every direction at the targets. Most hit on center, but the last three were on the edge. He scowled and began retrieving his knives.

Suddenly, it was like a spark had turned on in his head. Someone was watching him. He grabbed at the next kunai and threw it towards where he had sensed the presence. The presence vanished and he raced through the bushes to see who it was. The blade had struck a wooden stump, which could only mean one thing. He smirked, _**Kawarimi no jutsu** (Substitution). I'm being watched closely by someone, and it's not one of my fangirls. If it was, I would have detected them immediately. Let's see how they like it when I turn up the heat a bit._

His hands raced through the signs rapidly, "**Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu **(Fire Release: Grand Fireball technique)!" The flame issued forth from the child's mouth. He fired in all directions, striking tree after tree as he tried burning his observer out. Suddenly, rain began to fall on the area, even though there was no clouds in the sky. The fires sizzled and then went out

A low chuckle was heard from one of the unscorched trees, "Kukukukuku! Interesting, how very interesting. You have some impressive skills there, brat."

A woman with a tan trenchcoat, mesh shirt, and a short skirt dropped from the leaves into a crouch. She pulled herself up and grinned, "But surely, you weren't trying to kill little old me, now were you? I think you need to be brought back down to earth. You're far to arrogant for your own good."

Sasuke glared at her, "Who the hell are you?"

The woman looked even more offended, "You don't know me? Remember it well, boy, because my name is Anko Mitarashi."

Several kunai slid down her fingers as her arm twisted to throw them. Sasuke didn't see them as all but one grazed his face and legs. The one that didn't graze him struck him full in the arm. The Uchiha grabbed at the blade and bit down hard to repress thepain. He tore it out and threw it right back at her. Anko was surprised, but she grabbed it out of the air as if it was nothing. Sasuke pulled out two more kunai and threw them at her. They were deflected with a mere flick of her wrist. The two blades were perfect bullseyes on two of the targets. Her surprise long having worn off, she began to yawn, "Is that it? How boring. I might as well just kill you because you failed to impress me."

Sasuke pulled out another kunai and raced at Anko. The woman moved in and out of range, cutting Sasuke each time while dodging his counterattacks. After ten minutes of this, Sasuke could barely pick himself up. He pulled his kunai in close and collapsed to his knees. Anko pouted, "That's all you got? My, the Uchiha have certainly fallen in standards since Itachi. Even if he was a murdering bastard, you still should have been able to hold your own against me. You didn't even get a good shot in."

She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Any last words, gaki?"

Sasuke didn't say anything. Instead, he flicked his wrist forward, sending the kunai right towards her face at point-blank range. The woman's eyes widened when the blade cut into her cheek as she dove to the side to get out of the way. Sasuke flicked his wrist backwards, and the wire he attached to the kunai pulled the blade back to him. It landed in his hands, which he sent flying back at Anko. She deflected the kunai to the right, but Sasuke dragged the blade around, attempting to wrap the wire around her neck and choke her to death.

Anko grinned, _Interesting. Looks like you might just be more fun than I thought, gaki. But there's one problem with this kind of attack_. She ducked the wire and watched as Sasuke brought it completely around and right back at her. At the last instant, she grabbed the kunai out of the air and pulled hard on the wire. Blood spurted out of Sasuke's hand as the razor-edged wire sliced his skin and he quickly let go of it to prevent further injury. He clenched his fists in rage from his kneeling position; his legs wouldn't move, he knew it was over.

The tokubetsu jounin walked in close, twirling the kunai around mockingly, "Well, well, well. You do have some fight in you after all. Do you have any more tricks that I should know about?"

Sasuke glared at her and gave a short hiss of anger. Anko smirked, "Having a hissy fit will never make you a better ninja, kid."

She twirled the kunai and threw it at Sasuke. The academy student saw that it would strike him in the center of the head. He could not lean backward, nor would he bow forward to save his life. So, he merely glared at her with the last moments of his life. Then, the blade was stopped an inch from his head by the wire. Sasuke didn't flinch at all. Anko pulled the kunai back and began clapping, "Very good, you have spirit. You might be interesting one day."

She suddenly disappeared from Sasuke's sight, causing the student to blink. In that instant, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck and collapsed, the world fading out of view.

* * *

Later that evening, Sasuke awoke with a start and a sore spot on the back of his neck and a bandaged shoulder. He rubbed at it as he contemplated what had just happened. After he reviewed his memories, Sasuke thought, _How very interesting. I think we might see more of one another in the nearby future, Anko. _

* * *

**(Two days later)**

"NARUTO, I SWEAR THAT IS THE LAST STRAW! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE DEMON BRAT," Mizuki screamed as he raced down the street after the village prankster.

Naruto just grinned as he shouted back, "MAYBE NOW YOU WON'T BE SUCH A CRAPPY TEACHER THEN, SENSEI!"

Iruka was returning from running an errand for the school heads. Apparently, there was a shortage in the chalk supply, so they sent the chuunin to pick some up for the next year. It was at the conclusion of the errand that Naruto and Mizuki raced down the street.

Naruto saw Iruka in front of him and turned to jump away, but the teacher grabbed the back of his collar and grumbled, "Honestly Naruto! Do you really have to cause all sorts of trouble for your fellow villagers like this? If you want to become Hokage and be acknowledged by everyone, you're going about it the wrong way."

Naruto looked frantically between Iruka and Mizuki as the chuunin finally made it within range, "Gottcha now, you little bastard. I'm gonna enjoy doing this!" He rolled up his sleeves and moved menacingly towards the student. Iruka sensed a small amount of killer intent radiating off the man, so he stepped between the two and said, "Wait a minute, Mizuki-san! Naruto, what did you do this time?!"

Mizuki grinned maniacally, "The little bastard painted on my house stripes of orange and blue. Then, he dumped every liquid I had down the various drains in my house, effectively clogging them all. Finally, he had all my outfits replaced with green Gai spandex!"

Naruto couldn't help but smirk as he said that last one.

_flashback_

_He went to the store one day and watched a couple families buy some clothing. Naruto had transformed into someone a bit less conspicuous. The kid brought the green jumpsuit to his mother, but the mother grimaced at the outfit. In fact, everyone who had looked at the outfit had grimaced. Naruto thought it looked fine. **(2)** Upon closer inspection, the outfit was cheap, so he bought almost every one of them for the prank. 'Best use of money in a prank... ever.' It set him back a couple days, but he would manage for the sake of a future prank._

_Painting the house was easy. All that had to be done was make sure Mizuki remained unconcious by any means necessary after he went to bed. Then, he spent the night painting the house. The next morning, Mizuki caught Naruto in the dawn hours. The chuunin attempted to restrain Naruto, but Naruto surprised him with his improving level of taijutsu. The boy dodged the straight punch and slipped behind him. The other day, Iruka had taught Naruto how to use the neck chop, so he tried it. Luckily, it was a perfect strike._

_With Mizuki unconcious again, Naruto went to work clogging his drains and replacing the outfits. Naruto then fled to a safe distance and waited for Mizuki to return to conciousness._

_end flashback_

Mizuki looked like he was about to go into an epileptic fit right then and there. He shoved Iruka, "Get the hell out of my way!"

"No, you have the right to be angry, but this is not the way to deal with it. Naruto, where did you hide Mizuki's clothes?"

Naruto looked away, clearly frustrated that he had to give them back to that crappy teacher, "I hid them in one of the training grounds."

"Which one?"

"Near a monument."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Iruka and Naruto departed from the monument, with Naruto promising to help fix the plumbing he destroyed tomorrow and repaint the house while Iruka and Mizuki both supervised. Mizuki just grunted and walked away.

The two walked down the line of vendors towards a bench, where they sat down and began talking, "Why did you do that Naruto? There are better ways of getting attention around here. That is what I assume you want, right?"

"Yeah. When people look at me, it's as if I'm not even there. Their eyes are... so cold towards me, and no one cares whether I exist or not."

Iruka was stunned by the admission. He looked down the street to the end of the vendors and muttered, "Do I look at you like that?"

Naruto looked up and smiled, "No, you see me there. You're not so bad a guy, Iruka-sensei. Sometimes, you even treat me to Ichiraku's! It's better than almost everyone else... except gramps and Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan. They occationally even give me birthday presents."

Iruka frowned, _That's the highest kindness he's ever recieved, a meal from Ichiraku's? Well, then again, he _can_ eat a lot of ramen._

Naruto was contemplating people who were ever kind to him when another thought crossed his mind, "Oh, and Sasuke-san! He even acknowledged my dream of being Hokage one day! That's why I want to be Hokage now, so that I can protect people like him who are kind to me."

"That's right, you mentioned that when I first began tutoring you. You know, angering people like Mizuki will only come back to harm you in your task to become Hokage. Ultimately, it ends up with the jounin voting on who becomes the next Hokage. Mizuki may one day become a jounin. At that time if he gets to vote on who's the next Hokage, he would definitely not vote for you as things stand."

Naruto muttered, "There's nothing I can do about it, especially if he keeps teaching me taijutsu wrong."

Iruka was unsure what to say. He didn't believe that Mizuki would do such a thing, purposely sabatoge a student's fighting style for the sake of a simple grudge, would he? Regardless, he'd have to look into it. The student looked a bit sad, so Iruka spoke up, "Say, Naruto, would you like to head out to the field and do some training right now? Afterwards, we might be able to go for some Ichiraku's."

Naruto looked up in surprise. He smiled and shouted, "Yes, Sensei!"

* * *

**(Two months later, Konoha Ninja Academy)**

Naruto raced through the door to the classroom, eager to begin the day. Over the last two months, Iruka had steadily ironed out his taijutsu problems to a point he would only occationally make the same mistakes before. Today was a new day, and he was ready for whatever the world would throw at him.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had come in as well. His body ached, but he had managed to convince Anko to spar with him on occasion. Slowly, he was working on picking up her style, but that was to be expected. Ninja prodigies weren't born overnight, but rather created and refined in a massive fire of practice and experience.

From different corners in the room, two females eyes the future Hokage candidates. One smiled and held her head down while the other tilted her head and smirked at her crush.

**

* * *

**

**(Please review)**

Sorry it took so long to get the second chapter out. Basically, the two begin to get really serious about their training, unlike before. Both now have taijutsu tutors (Naruto and Iruka; Sasuke and Anko) and an ally (Naruto and Shikamaru; Sasuke and Shino). I know, very unfair, but Naruto has to learn the basics before he can move onto more advanced things. The pendulum will shift to the other side eventually, making things more even between the two of them. Sasuke has the initial advantage, and that is to be expected at this stage. So please be patient in that regard.

Originally, I had planned on Sasuke having Mizuki as his tutor, but I couldn't come up with an appropriate scenario where Sasuke is in a weakened enough state that he'd accept the help. It was too difficult, so I went with Anko instead. She won't be training Sasuke in ninjutsu, which is fine with him (for now). I think this story might be fun to write, but I'll have to see.

additional note:

**(1)** Fat chance of that happening.

**(2) **I totally don't approve that Naruto likes the ugly outfit. It looked terrible on Sai, and everyone else who wore it. However, remember that this is Naruto's actions, and I'm only writing in accordance with canon Naruto. He might end up wearing the outfit if he felt the need for a change.


	3. Sides are Drawn

**Dueling Hokages**

**Disclaimer: As much as I enjoy Naruto, I don't own it. I'd like to also thank Stalker of Stories. She's a very good Beta Reader.**

**Chapter 2: Sides are Drawn**

**(Ninja Academy, 11:00 AM)**

It was a repeat scenario, with Sasuke and Naruto standing on opposite sides of the circle in the academy courtyard. Mizuki had gleefully paired the two of them up for the one on one portion of the exercise. At the beginning, he also outlined what would be covered for the year, "As this is your second year, we will be adding jutsu and blunted kunai to the exercises. We'll be performing survival exercises and war games to train your ability to survive in the wild and against enemies. However, this session will cover taijutsu for now. Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, you may begin."

Behind Naruto, Shikamaru stood, looking bored as usual. Shino was behind Sasuke, waiting to see the results of Sasuke's summer-long training. Naruto gave a smirk because he finally has his chance to test his latest skills against the best in his class. In addition, it was a bit of petty revenge against Mizuki. Sadly, it had to be against the stoic Uchiha, but that's the way it worked out. The Uchiha muttered, "Hopefully, you've practiced a lot since last time. Otherwise, this will be over in a second. If you haven't, I'll beat you worse than before."

"I've been practicing all summer long, Sasuke," he said as he slipped into the proper beginning stance immediately.

The genin's form had improved dramatically, as he seemed more comfortable than last time. Before, his form was ridged, almost forced. Sasuke gave a small, "Hnn..." as he analyzed Naruto's stance for holes in his defense. And then, Naruto began.

* * *

From opposite sides, Shikamaru and Shino were examining each blow as the dueling Hokages attacked, blocked, and counterattacked. Naruto's fist slammed through the air where Sasuke had just been standing. Sasuke spun around Naruto's attack, chopping at the back of his neck. The blond ducked while snapping his foot backwards at the Uchiha's chin. Sasuke flipped backwards, dodging the counterattack. He landed and gave Naruto a smirk, which irritated him greatly.

Shikamaru was annoyed because his friend was being toyed with by Sasuke. He was obviously holding back to test Naruto's new found skill. Still, he had to admit that Naruto had improved a lot since the previous year. _He might even be able to land a blow on me now, _Shikamaru thought passively.

Shino noticed the same thing. However, he was able to sense just how much Sasuke was holding back. Sasuke's form seemed to have developed a weaving motion, like a serpent that was waiting for the right moment to end the fight. In addition, Sasuke was almost moving a second ahead of Naruto's moves towards a counter, like the student knew the next move in advance. Shino pushed his glasses up and thought it was to be expected, with the practice and favoritism doled out by Mizuki on Sasuke. Well, favoritism over Naruto at least.

Sasuke paused long enough to speak, "Genin taijutsu won't be enough," and slammed his foot against Naruto's chest. The academy student found himself flying away from Sasuke and out of the ring. His shoulder clipped the ground as Naruto attempted to recover in air, causing him to bounce and skid across the ground. He rolled his body and managed to come to a halt in the prone position. His shirt had a large tear in it, and a nasty gash was dripping blood.

Sasuke looked over the genin, and smirked, "You should give up trying to be Hokage, Naruto."

The surrounding students murmured amongst themselves. Naruto grabbed at his shoulder, covering the bloody wound, and shouted back, "And why's that Sasuke-_Teme?!"_

Sasuke's face became devoid of emotion as the memory of Itachi slaughtering his clan came to mind, "Because, I will become Hokage. You don't have the skill to take that title from the old man. You'll never be the best ninja in Konoha."

Naruto gritted his teeth as his blood started boiling in anger. He rose to his feet immediately and ran full speed at his rival, screaming "SASUKEEE!!!"

Mizuki stepped forward to stop the demon container, and then held back. He smirked as he thought about the beating he was about to get. Naruto's anger would lead him to doing stupid things, allowing Sasuke to fully take advantage of any weaknesses in Naruto's form. But he was surprised at what happened instead.

Naruto's form shifted slightly. In his anger, his carefully practiced Kata blended together with the incorrect form he had practiced for three years. Even though the shift was slight, the battle had changed completely. When Sasuke anticipated the academy form and moved to respond appropriately, the attack managed to slip through his guard. In fact, a number of the attacks made it through at first. Sasuke took a step back and thought, _His movements are different than a minute ago! This time, he might just be in the upper 5 percent of-!_

His thoughts were cut off as Naruto snapped a kick at his head. Sasuke dodged under the attack and observed his stance again. Suddenly, he realized just why the attacks were getting through. He smirked as his own stance shifted radically. Naruto's next two punches and kicks were deflected away by Sasuke's arms. His hands darted forward, striking Naruto's sternum, where he had been hit once before, a second strike to Naruto's wound and a final strike to the chin.

* * *

The entire class gasped at the attacks. Even Mizuki was surprised at the brutal counterattack, _I've never taught Sasuke that!_

Naruto continued to be pummeled for a few minutes and then was tossed out of the ring for the second time. Shikamaru flinched and muttered, "Hoy, hoy! That was brutal, even for Sasuke. And he wants to become Hokage now too? Tch!"

It was at this point that Mizuki decided enough was enough, "Sasuke-kun, that was superb. Where did you obtain that style?" He recognized that style, as it was Orochimaru's taijutsu style. Sasuke just gave a "hn..." and walked away to Shino.

He sighed in disappointment at the chance to get closer to his goal of finding Orochimaru and being allowed within his fold. So, he turned and began taking it out on Naruto, "Naruto! The match ended the moment he threw you out of the ring. I think a nice, long suspension will-!"

"I don't think that will be necessary," a voice called out from the academy entrance. Standing there, Iruka Umino looked furious.

* * *

Iruka saw the whole thing. He even saw the parts that the students missed. He was pleased that Naruto had come a long way. It was just that Sasuke had been trained too long in the basic taijutsu forms. He would be hard to defeat by any mere student. At Sasuke's declaration of intent, he felt both pride, sadness and disappointment, proud because two of his students yearned for the position of Hokage, and they thought the position was worth fighting for. He felt sad because Naruto would have a tough time fighting against someone who already had a head start.

He also felt disappointment because telling Naruto to give up on his dream was like stepping on Naruto and grinding his face into the ground. As the next flurry of taijutsu took place, Iruka looked furious, _Mizuki, what the hell are you doing! You're supposed to step in to prevent scenarios like this. _What set Iruka off though was Mizuki's expression of glee at Naruto's beating. As Mizuki tried to suspend Naruto, Iruka thought it time to step in, "I don't think that will be necessary."

Sweat immediately appeared on Mizuki's brow as his face turned a ghastly color. Iruka continued as all eyes turned to him, "What are you doing, Mizuki-sensei? If you wanted to stop that fight, you should have stopped Naruto before he went back into the ring."

Fear turned to anger and frustration as Mizuki spoke back, "Iruka-sensei, surely you agree that we cannot allow this to go unpunished. This boy only responds to the harshest penalties. Even you know his record around the village what with his pranks-"

"He won't," Iruka spoke back angrily. "He's earned himself a detention after school with me today."

The two teachers glowered at each other for the longest time. Finally, Mizuki turned away and shouted, "Naruto! You heard what he said. If you don't show up, my punishment will stand!"

He turned to his students. He nearly smirked as another idea came to mind. He continued shouting, "Yamanaka-san, Hyuuga-san! You're up for the Kunoichi."

* * *

While the whole situation was going on, Ino was bragging among the gathered kunoichi about her 'love,' "Of course Naruto never stood a chance against my Sasuke. And now, he'll become Hokage!"

She and a number of the kunoichi cooed together at Sasuke's victory. Sakura Haruno, who just stood next to Ino, smiled but did not speak up. She also liked Sasuke but didn't like being in the center of attention, so she just listened. **(1) **Ino continued, "I don't know why Naruto-baka is even bothering being a ninja. He should just quit; he'll never be able to beat my Sasuke-kun."

"Um..," a quite voice spoke up, just barely audible above Iruka's scolding an Ino's gloats over Sasuke, "... I... I think... you're wrong... Ino-san..."

The girls turned towards the origin of the voice. Sakura was especially surprised when she saw who spoke, "Hinata-chan!"

Hinata Hyuuga looked away from the girls' eyes, right at a clump of grass and poked her fingers together. She was shaking all over, clearly nervous. Ino looked her over for a second and then spoke curiously, "What did you say? Come on, speak up girl!"

Hinata looked into Ino's eyes. If anything her shaking grew worse as she replied, "I... I said... you're... wrong Ino-san. Naruto-kun is... Naruto-kun is stronger than you think... um... I believe he will... become Hokage one day..."

She trailed off as the girls' eyes widened at the usual taciturn Hyuuga. Her cheeks turned a rosy red color as he thought of her Naruto-kun wearing the Hokage hat. While she fantasized, Ino smirked, wrapped her arm around Hinata and whistled, "So, what does the usually silent Hinata-chan see in that loser?"

Hinata was broken out of her fantasy. Her body stopped shaking as she looked once again into Ino's eyes, "He's not a loser. He works harder than Sasuke-kun does." **(2)**

Ino's anger flared up as she said with a cruel smile, "Is that so?! Then why did he just crush your idiotic crush just like that!? Is there something really special about that idiot? All he does is play pranks and cause others trouble! Answer me, Hyuuga!"

Hinata's shaking came back with a vengeance. Sakura pushed between the two of them and pleaded, "Ino-chan, stop, please."

Mizuki's voice broke the tense atmosphere, "Yamanaka-san, Hyuuga-san, you're up!"

Ino gave a small smirk, "Good! This will be a good chance to show you that Sasuke-kun is the best. I'll beat that truth into you if I have to."

She walked cockily into the ring and awaited her opponent. Sakura turned to Hinata and said, "Hinata-chan, are you alright?!" There was serious concern in her tone. Hinata looked into her eyes. There was a good deal of fear in there, but she didn't back down. She got up and walked into the ring, not saying a thing to Sakura.

* * *

Mizuki watched the two contestants with mild interest. The Hyuuga were known to be some of the best taijutsu specialists in the village. Ino, however, was the best female student in class. Furthermore, due to Hinata's ever present shyness, she had never won a match against the overly confident Yamanaka. In a way, this was a way to get back at Naruto, having the one person who had feelings for that demon brat beaten to a pulp in front of the boy.

Ino looked at Sasuke and gave an overhead wave at her crush. Hinata just stood there, fidgeting and appearing uncomfortable. Ino turned back to Hinata and spoke just loud enough for only her to hear, "Naruto no baka will never beat Sasuke-kun, not even if he practiced for a thousand years. The loser should just give up being a ninja."

In hindsight, Ino should have been more cautious with what she said. The instant Ino finished her sentence, the Hyuuga stopped fidgeting. Her form loosened up and her Byakugan activated. Moments later, Mizuki ordered them to begin.

Ino dashed forward, intent to strike Hinata with her patented 16 hit combo. She threw a punch at her stomach. The timid girl caught the first with one hand and jabbed her finger into Ino's wrist with the other. The Yamanaka felt a moment of pain, but ignored it. Instead, her other fist came around at Hinata's face. The girl dropped Ino's right hand and caught her left, striking once again. Hinata counterattacked, trying to palm Ino in the stomach. Ino retreated a couple steps. It was at this moment that the blond made a startling discovery. When she tried to move her hands in any way, they remained still and immobile.

* * *

In the crowd, a certain Uchiha perked up, sensing Ino's uncertainty and worry. He watched as Ino did nothing but retreat for several seconds as Hinata advanced. The boy smirked, realizing just who he wanted for his third teammate. _Hinata Hyuuga_, he thought, _Father and mother both detested the Hyuuga greatly. I believe there may have been a blood feud of some sort between our clans. The Uchiha clan was the best clan in Konoha, but the Hyuuga were always right behind us. Now, they are the best, simply because all the Uchiha were wiped out. It might be best to put aside our differences once and for all. _He gave a small glare as his smirk disappeared, _I'll do anything to kill Itachi. _

* * *

With a thrust of the palm, Hinata landed a Jyuuken strike to Ino's midsection, sending her out of the ring. **(3)**

Hinata's calm expression changed to that of worry. She didn't mean to use Jyuuken! Even one false strike could have killed Ino! Mizuki and Hinata moved over to the girl. Iruka had run to get the doctor, fearing that the Yamanaka had sustained a killing strike.

Ino coughed a lot and tried to pull herself up. Mizuki forced her to stay down, and hoped that the medics would get there fast enough. It wouldn't do to have a daughter of a prominent clan leader die. He might be brought up for review, and he needed to maintain his position for the time being. Sakura raced over moments later, concerned for her friend.

* * *

**(Konoha Hospital, 3:00 PM)**

Hinata and Sakura were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for their chance to go in to see Ino; Inoichi was already in Ino's room. Hinata felt awful and Sakura was worried over what may happen to her best friend. Neither of them talked for the longest time. Sakura was unsure how to speak to Hinata at the moment. Hinata fidgeted, clearly worried about Ino, how she was doing, and Sakura's possible reaction to Hinata being there at all.

It was after several long minutes of silence that Inoichi came out. There was a calm smile on his face as he walked outside. The two girls ran to him. Inoichi's smile grew when he saw the two together, worrying about his precious girl. He said, "Don't worry. Ino was not seriously injured by the attack earlier. The injuries are mostly healed, but they want to observe her overnight to make sure there are no complications. If all works out, she'll be in class tomorrow without any problem."

The two sighed and requested to visit Ino. The elder Yamanaka didn't mind, but spoke softly, "I don't think she'll be too pleased to see you, Hinata-san. She still seemed pretty angry at you for some reason. I'm sure she'll get over it eventually though."

Hinata dropped her head and whispered, "Alright. Sakura-san, tell Ino-san 'I'm sorry for losing my temper like that.' I'll be heading home."

Sakura hesitated, and then said, "Wait, Hinata-chan. Ino...was a bit hasty in how she reacted. I don't think Ino should hate you for what was said. Then, she spoke too much in her anger. Please, forgive her."

Hinata kept looking at the floor, but a smile appeared on her face. Sakura then spoke up again, "Say, Hinata-chan... could... could you spar with me a bit. You were really good out there today."

Surprised, the timid girl looked up, and then said with a more enthusiasm than usual (which was still very little), "Hai! I don't have to head to my house so soon... maybe we could spar this afternoon at the school grounds."

Whispering, she also said, "_Maybe Naruto-kun will still be around._"

Sakura nodded and said, "I'd like that. I'll see you in an hour."

* * *

All around, medical ninja were wondering the hallways, tending to various patients. Sakura found herself at the entrance to a doorway that had 'I. Yamanaka' on the wall. Beyond the door, Ino was resting, glaring at the ceiling, willing to burn a hole in it with her eyes. The pink haired academy student gave a small grin and said, "Hinata-chan was worried about you. She even came to see if you were alright. However, there was only minor internal bruising. The medics said you were lucky. That strike was typically meant for the heart."

Ino turned away from Sakura. She merely placed a flower in the vase and sat down. Ino muttered, "Damn that girl. I can't stand her! Insulting Sasuke-kun like that. He's probably extremely disappointed."

Sakura blushed and looked down, "I still think your taking it a bit over the top."

Ino didn't respond to that. Instead, Sakura asked, "So, how do you feel."

"My stomach hurts a lot. Whatever Hinata did, she did it well. I've never felt pain like that before."

Sakura muttered, "I heard that the Hyuuga are some of the best taijutsu experts in the village. She might one day succeed her clan's techniques. Hinata-chan will be strong one day."

Ino turned to glare at her friend. Sakura didn't pay any attention as she continued, "However, I think one day you too will be strong, Ino-chan."

There was an odd silence in the room. A small breeze flowed in from the window and the sound of the bell chimes could be heard. Sakura took a seat and talked about the rest of the day. There was tactics and history homework that would be due tomorrow. Iruka, however, would allow for her hospital trip, so Ino didn't have to finish it for tomorrow. There was new gossip and speculation circulating around school about Sasuke. For several minutes, they talked, enjoying themselves in the halcyon days of youth. However, like all times, it had to come to an end. Sakura rose and exited the room.

Ino relaxed into the hospital bed, thinking Sasuke. Her mood turned slightly dark as she vowed to get back at the Hyuuga heir.

* * *

There was no need to hurry. The streets were extremely busy, with many of the people and Hinata enjoyed watching them as she walked down the street. All the villagers were kind to her, much more so than most of her extended family. There was little wonder why. The elders were disappointed with her dismal taijutsu scores, her father was frustrated with her performances in their training, and the main family line was hated by the branch family members overall.

Here in the streets, people called out to her, greeting her and asking about her life. Hinata shared and talked about their lives as well. Among them, Teuchi and Ayame of Ichiraku Ramen stood out. There were other kind shopkeepers as well, like the weapons shop owner, who supposedly had a daughter in the class above hers. She walked along completely oblivious to the person shadowing her from the rooftops.

The shadow moved lightly along, watching her. He had been watching ever since the Hyuuga's academy spar. He leapt across the gap separating two rows of buildings and landed without so much a sound. The wind picked up for a second, causing his black hair to ruffle in the wind. Sasuke moved stealthily along the edge. Hinata had caught his eye from the surprising victory. Ino Yamanaka was considered to be the best kunoichi in the classroom, with Sakura Haruno following closely in her footsteps. Anyone would be surprised when the best student was soundly defeated by an unknown student who hung back in the class.

Sasuke had researched the three man team cells well, gathering information from some of the village elders and other failed genin students. His discovery was that the teams were often sorted into cells of two males and a female. The teams were often organized in specialization units, such as assassination, reconnaissance, ambush and capture, and frontline assault teams. It was to his horror that he learned this, because all the girls in the class were fangirls, namely his fangirls. Most of the students were civilians' kids who were obliged to obtain some formal training as ninja. The many girls had devoted themselves to becoming an ideal housewife and settling down with a good, ninja husband. Unfortunately for Sasuke, all the girls in his class were like that, or so he originally thought.

Quite accidentally, he had grouped all the girls together in his mind with Ino, dismissing them all as useless. However, Hinata Hyuuga appeared out of nowhere and creamed Ino in a one-on-one spar in front of the whole class. Thus, he found himself watching her, gathering information and seeing if she was worthy of being the second teammate. If all worked out correctly, his team would be perfect, with Shino being the second.

He shadowed her all the way to the Academy, where he could no longer follow from the rooftops. His feet landed on a branch hidden by the trunk. The wind was still blowing, and it carried the sound of voices a short distance away. They belonged to Naruto and Iruka. He glanced from behind the trunk and watched as the scene unfolded before him.

* * *

The kunoichi took up her position behind the tree and watched. Naruto moved through his kata with no small amount of grace. Within a few minutes, however, the kata broke down. Iruka stopped Naruto before he regressed into his previous bad forms. The two seemed to talk, and Naruto looked down. Hinata herself could almost feel it. As the blond academy student moved, his form was rigid, his stance was on guard. There was a great deal of pain and hurt exuding from his form.

Hinata felt she should go ahead and leave. It wouldn't do to pry into his feelings right now. She moved went to the front of the school, sat down and waited for Sakura to show up. Suddenly, a presence appeared behind her. She turned around and spoke loudly, "Who's there?!"

Sasuke walked out from behind the tree. His stance was guarded, but differently from Naruto. The Uchiha was hiding his feelings, so that no one could take advantage of his emotions. Hinata spoke softly, "Sasuke-kun... why are you here?"

Sasuke looked away and muttered, "I saw your match against Ino earlier today. I'd like to test your strength, right here and now."

Hinata started shaking a bit. Nerves took over as her response came out stuttered, "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry, Sasuke...kun. I'm w-waiting for S-S-S-S-Sakura-san to show. I can't."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at where he watched Hinata watch Naruto. A clever idea came to mind, "You seem interested in that idiot. What do you see in that moron? He's worthless."

Hinata's shaking stopped. She whispered, "Don't speak that way about Naruto-kun."

Her voice tone gained confidence as it rose in tone, "He trains harder than you do, and he's grown strong. He's not worthless."

Sasuke gave a small smirk said with a cocky tone, "If you beat me, I'll acknowledge that he's not a loser."

Hinata's Byakugan activated a couple seconds later. Her form shifted to the one she used to defeat Ino. Sasuke decided not to hold back in taijutsu, because she probably wouldn't either. He slid into the form Anko had been showing him and dashed forward.

The two's motions blurred together as Hinata aimed to hit what tenketsu she could see on his body while dodging Sasuke's attacks. Sasuke aimed for pressure points that would render her unable to move. To counter Hinata's blows, Sasuke deflected the attacks by hitting the wrists with his arms and elbows. Hinata's Jyuuken did not hit. However, she did not allow Sasuke to strike her pressure points either. It was quickly apparent that Sasuke was slightly more skilled than her in taijutsu. Hinata received several nasty bruises that were dangerously close to her pressure points.

He smirked as he ducked below her vision and slid right into her blind spot. His arm was brought down, aiming to strike the pressure point just below the neck that would knock Hinata unconscious. Suddenly, her right arm darted backwards, striking Sasuke's wrist, rendering it ineffective. Sasuke leapt backwards and tested his wrist. Sure enough, it wouldn't move. Sasuke gave a smirk and said stoically, "I see, that's enough. That's how the Byakuugan and your taijutsu work. You have nearly 360 degree vision, allowing you to see even behind you. The term 'eyes in the back of your head' wouldn't be far from the truth. And your interesting taijutsu injects chakra into my system, or instead of striking at the skin to break bones, you strike at my internal organs. In this case, you struck at my nerves, preventing them from contracting. I can't use my hand at all."

Hinata was still in her fighting stance. She spoke softly, "And your style targets pressure points. Where did you learn that style? Mizuki doesn't teach it, so you're being tutored by someone else."

Sasuke frowned. Anko hadn't really been teaching him anything. She's been beating him into the ground every day. He muttered, "Hnn... Regardless, you're a very skilled kunoichi. Tomorrow, I'd like to fight you again, but during the academy lesson. And then, you'd be an excellent teammate one day."

Hinata relaxed her stance as surprise washed over her. She stuttered, "I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry. Did you just... invite me to be on your team?"

Sasuke nodded, looking a bit surprised himself. Every girl in the academy would vie for the other two slots on his team. With his declaration of intent to succeed the Third Hokage, the positions would be even more sought after.

Hinata shook her head, "No, I won't."

* * *

Naruto was walking away from his training with Iruka, head sulking down. He was feeling the sting from a wounded pride, after losing to Sasuke. It wasn't the loss to Sasuke that stung, but rather his attitude towards Naruto's fight to be Hokage. He made his way to the edge of the grounds when he heard voices from just beyond the trees. Naruto hid behind a tree and listened closely. One of the two voices was Sasuke. The other he didn't recognize, but it was a female. He looked from behind the tree and saw the Uchiha and a pale eyed female he had never noticed before.

Sasuke was shocked for a second, and then it went away. He remembered what she was doing moments ago. He muttered, "What do you see in that Dobe over there?" He pointed in the direction of where Naruto had been training.

The girl whispered, but he could hear it, "Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun is... a hard worker. He doesn't always succeed... however, he has changed since I first met him. There's a, a fire in him. He's grown stronger... yes, I think you've seen it too."

Sasuke gave a small 'hn..' and the area was quiet once again. Sasuke seemed to snap to attention for a second, like he had sensed something. Sasuke's eyes darted to his hiding spot, and then back at Hinata. Moments later, he relaxed and gave his usual smirk, "Yeah, he has. He still has a long ways to go before he's at my level, but his strength has grown a lot since last year. Not that it's saying much, because it's not too hard to rise from zero to the level he's at. I'd recommend he train long and hard before challenging me again, or else he's just wasting my time. If you ever change your mind, Hyuuga, you'll still be a welcome member of my team."

With that, Sasuke vanished from the field. Naruto realized at that moment that his fists had been clenched hard. He gave a small smirk as he thought, _So, you want me to grow stronger, Sasuke. Teme, I'll grow so strong I'll leave you in the dust. That's a challenge, huh, Sasuke? Well, I accept. _

Suddenly, rustling could be heard from several feet away in a nearby bush. Naruto shouted, "Who's there!"

Naruto raced to the brush and beyond it. There was no one there. He ran back to where Sasuke and the 'Hyuuga' girl had been talking together. No one was there either. Confused but filled with determination, Naruto walked away from the Academy towards his apartment.

* * *

Hinata had heard Naruto's shout. Thinking he was talking about her, she had run away, her cheeks burning bright red. She forgot about her training session with Sakura and just raced back to her house, where her father would no doubt train her more in the Hyuuga Jyuuken before dinner and going to bed.

* * *

She had heard it all from her crush. There was no way to deny it. The girl had shown up at the training grounds just when Sasuke revealed himself to Hinata. She had watched from underneath some brush. The fight between Sasuke and Hinata was incredible, revealing just how much Hinata was holding back in class. The girl had heard the description of the Byakugan's incredible power, and then heard the discussion about Naruto.

The girl was surprised that Sasuke had spoken of Naruto in a respectful manner. She was even more surprised that Sasuke wanted Hinata as his teammate, but she refused. Moments after Sasuke had disappeared, someone shouted, demanding to know who was present after she had accidentally shifted her hiding position in favor of a more comfortable position. The girl ran, scaled a tree and vanished from sight just as Naruto burst from the brushes. Moments later, Naruto ran away, probably to where Hinata had been earlier.

So, she was left by herself, digesting the new information. That day, Sakura Haruno had a spark of determination light within her. This day would change how she viewed her world, not as an academy student, but as an observer to the golden days the two dueling Hokages would bring to the land of Konohagakure.

Notes:

For all those who are seeking a bash fest on characters, you won't find one here. The only character I think deserves bashing in any story is Peter Pettigrew, and even that should be kept to a minimum. Bashing on characters destroys a writer's ability to write good fanfiction. They say stuff that's flat out not true, like Sasuke was a spoiled brat. If anyone could be viewed as a spoiled brat, it would be Itachi (I like Itachi, and I don't think he acted like a spoiled brat) because Itachi was lauded as the greatest genius produced by the Uchiha.

For all the Ino fans out there, I ask for your forgiveness. Much of the anti-Naruto Propaganda will come from her. I personally believe that she has great potential. However, she is also a devoted Sasuke disciple. And she will be the most openly antagonistic against Naruto's team.

Hinata is...well...Hinata. Many people find her hard to write. I don't really have a problem with her. I have a special role in mind for Sakura in the whole story. You'll have to wait and find out. Don't worry, Sakura fans.

**(1)** - This is still early in the Ino/Sakura friendship. In the Canon, this is about the point that she becomes a quieter version of Ino, but Hinata's actions in the ring will change her for (I believe) the better.

**(2) **- Technically what Hinata said was true. Naruto trains for at least three hours a day while Sasuke trains for 2 or less. The reason Naruto lost was for two reasons: 1. Sasuke has been training correctly for several years now, while Naruto has only had about one and a half years of correct training. The second reason was because of Mizuki's influence. Mizuki has been training Naruto in an incorrect taijutsu form for two years prior to Iruka training him correctly. I'm sorry to admit this, but Naruto's a bit out of his league at the moment against Sasuke.

**(3) **- Some may argue that Ino should have done better. Perhaps, but I've always advocated that the element of surprise can bring down even the mightiest Hokage. In every other battle she has ever fought in the academy, Hinata has been too nervous to do much. Ino expected to just beat the crap out of her in the ring. However, Ino underestimated Hinata, and knew nothing about Jyuuken. That was her downfall.

I know what I'm going to name the next chapter - Chapter 3: Wargames


	4. Wargames 1

**Dueling Hokages**

**Disclaimer: As much as I enjoy Naruto, I don't own it. I'd like to also thank Stalker of Stories. She's a very good Beta Reader.  
**

**Chapter 3: Wargames**

**(Ninja Academy)**

The next day had begun like all the others, with Naruto arriving an hour before class. Just inside the door, Iruka sat at the desk looking over several papers he had been working on grading the night before. As the door opened, he immediately stopped, set them aside and rose to greet his most eager student. Little did they know, both of them had grown attached to the other, much like a father and son or an older and younger brother. The chuunin immediately escorted the youth out to the grounds. Naruto said with a bit of uncertainty, "Iruka-sensei... please, I'd like to practice sparring in the ring today."

Iruka complied and entered the area containing the ring. The ring itself was about thirty feet in diameter with two marks for each student to stand on before fighting each other. Naruto implored Iruka, "Please, don't hold back, sensei. If you do, I'll never have a chance to catch up to where he's at."

Iruka saw the expression on the student's face. He knew the academy student had the resolve. With that, he nodded and assumed the correct position while Naruto did the same. Naruto held out for five minutes before being thrown out of the ring. Iruka, much like Sasuke, had been tempered in the standard academy style for quite a while, which gave him an edge in predicting the student's moves. The chuunin didn't purposely do it like Sasuke had, but he still did it instinctively. Moments later, both teacher and student were at it again.

Several minutes passed. By the time the session was up, Naruto had worked up a small amount of sweat. There was also a few bruises, scrapes and cuts along his body. Iruka, however, is breathing very hard by now. The student had a lot of stamina.

Remembering yesterday, Naruto said, "Iruka-sensei. Do you know anyone named Hyuuga-san in this class?"

"Hyuuga? Well, there's Hinata Hyuuga, the heir to the Hyuuga clan. Why do you ask, Naruto-kun?"

The academy student attacked again, sweeping his leg around in a spin kick aimed at the Chuunin's head. Iruka ducked the attack and struck at the Naruto's tendon. The boy fell backwards, landing hard against the ground. Iruka changed topics quickly for a second, "You over-extended yourself, leaving room for a counterattack. You must not do this, as my attack could have been fatal."

Naruto huffed and muttered, "Damn it."

The boy didn't pick himself up for a few seconds. As he lay there, he said, "Well, I heard her defending me after I finished my detention yesterday with you. Sasuke... he was there as well. I think he noticed me, because he seemed to issue a challenge for me to get stronger."

Naruto paused for a second. His mouth formed into a determined smile, "But Iruka-sensei, he also said something else. He acknowledged that I had become stronger. One day, I'll become Hokage, stronger than he'll ever be."

* * *

Iruka and Naruto made it to class a few minutes before it was scheduled to begin. Naruto looked around. Sasuke had already taken the third row, corner seat right next to the window. Naruto took a seat in the same row, middle section on the right side. The massive desks could hold three or four people each. Naruto chose that particular seat because it was right next to Hinata. He recognized her from just outside the training grounds on the other side of the academy.

He opened his mouth to speak, but at the same moment Iruka began class, "Alright everyone. Open your books to-"

Naruto would have to talk to her another time outside class. Now, he had to learn and catch up to Sasuke.

* * *

Iruka watched as the class proceeded through the training grounds towards the river. Well, it was more of a stream. Today's goal was to cross the river over a rope. Part of this year's graduation would involve an obstacle course, which included a similar obstacle to the river rope exercise, so they would be doing this exercise once a week.

The key was balance. Perfect balance would be needed to run across the rope without falling off. In a real life and death situation, even the slightest mistake might be potentially fatal. He looked at his list and began at the top, "Akamichi, Chouji, you are first."

Chouji went into the water after only five seconds. Most of the students had fallen in fairly quickly. One of the students, Shikamaru Nara, simply jumped into the river rather than fell in. A couple made it halfway across, such as Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno and Shino Aburame. They, like the rest however, fell in.

Iruka sighed in frustration as he overlooked the dripping students. There was a simple exercise they would do after class to improve their balance.

Three students, however, stood out among all others. First, Naruto Uzumaki made it all the way except at the very end where some water had been soaking the rope. His nearly fell several times on the rope, but he never gave up, even to the end. Next was Hinata Hyuuga, who managed to make it across the rope flawlessly. This was a result of her Jyuuken training. The final person was Sasuke Uchiha. It was like he was driven to succeed by an outside force. Unknown to Iruka, Sasuke looked beyond the rope, to see a spot where his brother had once stood.

Iruka smiled as he looked at the non-soaked students and the one student who almost made it. Sasuke pushed himself to excel. Naruto looked up to Sasuke, resulting in the blond student pushing himself. Finally, Hinata looked to Naruto. All three were pulled along one after the other towards great things.

Off in the corner, Ino was fuming to herself at being outclassed by her hated rival. Sakura tried her best to calm her friend down. Ino muttered, "I swear... Sakura... I will never let myself lose to her again. I'd rather die than lose to her."

"Ino, stop it, please. This is not worth it."

As the sun continued to dry off the academy students, the seeds of a new rivalry sprouted.

* * *

The rest of the class involved examining the surrounding training ground. Iruka showed the students various plants that would assist them in surviving in upcoming long term missions. Sometimes, the ninjas would need to stalk a target for several days, which would quickly deplete their rations. Quite a few of the students didn't really pay attention. Shikamaru had to be woken up every five minutes or so because it was 'too troublesome to pay attention.' Naruto tried, he really did, but couldn't handle the boring pressure, so he walked away from the rest of the group to practice his taijutsu forms.

They were shown several mushrooms, some poisonous, some edible. One, a tiger mushroom, would even paralyze the one who consumed it for several hours. Ino took note of this particular plant and began planning for revenge. She knew some stuff about plant poisons. True, she hated Hinata, but didn't want her killed...yet. Ino just wanted to humiliate her like she had been, twice.

* * *

Eventually, the day came to an end back at the classroom. They were all instructed to read the forest chapter on their **Edible Plants** books. Ino was one of the first to leave, with plans coursing through her head for her revenge during taijutsu practice.

Naruto, however, waited around for most of the class to leave. Hinata was one of the last ones, and Naruto ran after her. The Hyuuga took notice, blushing and remaining silent. Naruto, being the tactless idiot he was, blurted out, "It was you yesterday! You defended me against Sasuke!"

Hinata gave a small _eep_ as her crush spoke to her. She merely stuttered. Naruto gave her a big smile, "Thank you, Hyuuga-chan. No one's really ever stood up for me before."

Hinata continued turning more and more red as she whispered, "T-t-t-t-t-thanks... N-N-N-Naruto...kun."

A stern voice shouted out, "Hinata. Get over here!"

Hinata looked forward and frowned. Her eyes drooped in shame after they took in the sight of her father, Hiashi. The Hyuuga head's eyes were cold when he looked at the Jinchuuriki. Naruto gritted his teeth as he recognized that look. _Why does everyone look at me like that?_ Naruto thought.

Hinata said softly, "I have to go... Naruto-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto stopped as the girl walked towards her father. The clan head turned on his heels and escorted his daughter home. Naruto clenched his fists hard as he continued glaring at that man.

* * *

**(Hyuuga Household)**

Feet danced across the floor as Hanabi closed in on Hinata. The younger of the two sisters was outclassing Hinata on almost every level. She was far quicker and more skilled than Hinata. At least, that's what it appeared on the outside. See, the timid Hyuuga had a problem. Whenever she would face an opponent, she would get nervous. Her father was a strict man, had high expectations of her as she was next in line to be clan head. However, Hinata felt she was unable to live up to those expectations.

Hiashi turned to Hanabi and trained her instead. One might say, Hinata broke while Hanabi didn't. The results were obvious, as Hinata suffered another palm to her lung. The pain of the blow was present, but the reduced lung capacity wasn't. The Hyuuga didn't put chakra into their Jyuuken when sparring in the clan dojo. It was counterproductive to damage internal organs every time they fought.

Hinata deflected the next two strikes, but failed to stop a second strike to the other lung.

Hiashi slammed the end of the cane down on the ground and shouted, "That is enough!"

The spar ended, Hanabi as the clear victor. The Hyuuga said dispassionately, "Leave us, Hinata. You are done for today."

Hinata gave an ashamed frown and bowed her head, "Yes, father."

The distraught girl walked into the main branch household. Several branch servants walked past. Her eyes met theirs. Unknown to Hinata, she and Naruto shared a similar bond. Both of them were looked upon with those cold eyes. All the branch members could see was the main house girl who would rule over their lives one day. Being subdued by the house laws and the actions of the main branch, the branch members could do nothing to her. But they could act like she didn't exist.

* * *

**(Next Day, Academy)**

"Alright Naruto," Iruka commented, "I know you haven't looked over the book last night like I told you."

Naruto grumbled a bit at the reprimand. The result was punch to the back of Naruto's head. Iruka, looking a bit irritated, said, "Remember your goal Naruto. Anyway, we'll be beginning the ninjutsu aspect of being a ninja."

Naruto perked up a bit. Iruka walked Naruto from the entrance through the hallways and ended up in the classroom. Leaning against one of the desks, Naruto seemed a bit more excited than usual, and the teacher continued, "So instead of taijutsu, today we will be practicing your Chakra meditation exercise. Last year we introduced it and had you practice it extensively."

Naruto sighed as he took a seat on the ground and began focusing. His attention was turned inwards. Within seconds, he could feel the blue flame of chakra pulsing inside his body. He remembered the first time he had felt it. It was like something was blowing through his very soul. It was, above all else, incredibly exciting. His mouth curled into a grin.

This was one of Naruto's advantages. Even though some of his teachers didn't teach him properly, he was proficient in this exercise by the end of his first year at the academy. When he had to repeat the first year, he mastered it. Iruka suppressed his pride at the student's success. He said, "I see you've sensed your own chakra. In class, we will cover two things. First, the **Henge No Jutsu**. We will not cover that right now. Instead, we will look into the second task, the leaf concentrating exercise."

Naruto looked interested. However, his interest waned as he learned about it. Iruka opened the window and snatched a leaf from one of the nearby branches. He placed the leaf on his forehead over his hitai-ate. He let go, but the leaf remained. Iruka said, "Leaf Ninja have used this exercise for many generations. You must focus enough chakra to make sure the leaf sticks in place. However, it's hard to release chakra from this point." He touched his forehead where the leaf was still stuck.

A moment later, he handed the leaf to Naruto and said, "You give it a try."

* * *

Hinata had decided to leave earlier than usual. After bidding her father and sister a farewell, she exited the doors of the compound. The trip took a good ten minutes. She arrived at 7:30 AM. Many of the teachers kindly greeted her. She waved at them shyly and continued through the hallway.

"AH! This is so hard," shouted a familiar voice from beyond the classroom door. The Hyuuga recognized it quickly. Her heartbeat quickened, face turned red and hands began shaking a bit. She thought, _I-it's Naruto-kun. What... what is he doing here so early?_

The door slid open abruptly. Naruto walked quickly out, not paying attention as he bowled Hinata over. Naruto growled, "Dang, that hurt. What just happened?"

Suddenly, he was aware that he was kneeling over Hinata, who lay on her back looking up at Naruto. Her face turned a deep cherry red as she kept stuttering. The boy cocked his head to one side as he asked, "Huh? Hyuuga-chan?"

Hinata's focus returned a bit as she said softly, "P-p-p-p-please call m-m-me H-H-Hinata."

Naruto replied, "So, your name is Hinata, then? Alright, Hinata-chan, what are you doing here so early?"

He noticed her face was very red. He reached up and touched her head as he asked, "Hey, are you alright? Do you have a fever or something?"

Hinata couldn't handle the nerves. She quickly passed completely out. Iruka finally reached their side, saw Hinata and realized she was unconscious. He said, "Naruto-kun, please step aside. It seems she's fainted."

Naruto looked between the two of them. He said, "Hey, come on wake up Hinata! Hinata! HINATA!"

Iruka smacked him on the back of the head, "She should be alright! So don't go panicking on me! A good ninja never panics in any situation. He keeps a cool head and tries to think of a solution."

The wisdom calmed the student down. After sending Hinata to the medical office, Iruka berated Naruto for giving up so quickly. Naruto just muttered that was going to the bathroom for a short break.

* * *

Naruto didn't make much progress with the concentration technique. The boy had a lot of problems concentrating on one task. However, he did manage to hold it up there for a couple seconds before losing the focus.

A few minutes later, the rest of the class began filing into the classroom. Hinata would join them a half hour after class began.

As planned, the students began practicing basic ninjutsu. Naruto and Sasuke were the first two to finish the meditation exercise. Within ten minutes, Sakura, Ino, Shino, and Kiba joined Naruto and Sasuke. Once Hinata arrived, she finished the exercise immediately, once again the result of her early training with Jyuuken. Those who finished the exercise were separated into a second group and shown the leaf floating exercise while they waited.

Kiba and Naruto hated this exercise. But while Kiba jumped out the window to escape (quickly being pursued by chuunin in the process), Naruto stuck back, kept at it. The exercise lasted two hours total. Naruto was bored out of his mind by the end of it. It was with great delight that the rest of the class finally joined them. Once they all finished, Iruka began a new lecture, "Alright class. Now that you've all got a grasp of your chakra, you'll be learning how to do the **Henge no jutsu.**"

Several of the class looked excited at the prospect of learning a ninjutsu finally, Naruto included in this group. Others were mildly interested. Two, Shikamaru and Sasuke, looked bored. Sasuke had already learned this technique from some of the clan scrolls he found.

Shikamaru was bored because he honestly didn't really care. He just wanted to be relaxing at the moment. The Nara boy had the potential to finish faster than anyone else, but he had been one of the last students to finish. A plan came to mind, that if he finished the technique quick enough, maybe he could slack off in whatever other task they have for him if they finish.

Iruka looked around at the bright faces and smiled at them, saying cheerfully, "Alright. Who wants to try it first!"

He looked around, spotting so many bright eyed kids who wanted to try it out. However, he focused on one boy in particular, "Shikamaru-kun, how about you try it. Can you transform into me?"

The lazy boy sighed as he stood and walked down the stairs to the front of the class. The class watched with ever growing excitement. The boy tensed and moved his hands. _Dog...Boar...Tiger! _He said calmly, "**Henge!** (Transform)"

Chakra expelled itself from each of his tenketsu. It floated around him in a blue sphere. An explosion of smoke appeared. At the same instant, chakra clung to Shikamaru's body, shifting his body structure. As the smoke cleared, there stood a second Iruka, who looked quite bored. Many in the class were awed by the boy's immediate success. 'Iruka' sighed and muttered, "How troublesome. Am I done here, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka was surprised that the boy succeeded so quickly. He stuttered out, "W-well done, Shikamaru-kun. You may return to your seat."

Shikamaru released the chakra clinging to his body, dispelling his transformation in a burst of smoke. His usual black-haired appearance reappeared when the smoke drifted away. He took his seat next to Naruto and promptly fell asleep right then and there. The rest of the class took turns walking to the front and attempting the transformation. Those who succeeded this time were: Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, and Shino. Hinata was close, but she didn't reproduce Iruka's scar on his nose correctly. Chouji's transformation was too fat. Kiba reproduced Iruka correctly, but his outfit remained his own. Then came Naruto. The boy was eager to succeed. However, he ended up releasing too much uncontrolled chakra. 'Iruka' was a badly deformed reproduction as a result.

* * *

Taijutsu practice began as it always had, with each person picking a person to spar with. Ino walked over to Hinata, intent on repaying what she had suffered two days ago. However, someone beat her to it. Sakura asked Hinata to be her sparring partner. Ino watched with anger as the two walked away, never noticing her.

Mizuki took note of Ino's anger. He walked over to her and said, "I see you don't like Hinata-san."

Ino didn't seem to notice Mizuki. She just thought about how it was her duty to repay the pretentious little Hyuuga. Her anger blinded her. Mizuki took note of this and began spinning lies, "Did you know that Hinata-san talked to me the other day. Yes, she said some pretty foul things about you."

With that beginning, Mizuki continued laying on the lies. Ino, caught up in her righteous anger, took in every word, growing to hate Hinata more and more every second. When Mizuki finally finished, the academy student's hands were shaking and her teeth were grinding together. Her eyes burned with a black flame deep inside. Mizuki mouth twitched upward. The look in her eyes pleased the teacher. He would go to any length to get revenge on Naruto through any channel. Ino would play her role well.

The rest of the school day passed by quickly.

* * *

**(Ninja Academy, 3:30 PM)**

_Dog...Boar...Tiger!_ There was the spine-tingling burst of chakra and the usual smoke explosion. However, it was useless. Naruto sighed as he dispelled the transformation. Iruka was sitting down at his desk and clutching at his forehead. The academy stomped his feet on the ground and shouted, "Damn it!"

Iruka muttered, "Naruto, you're not going to be able to do it right now. You're getting too frustrated, releasing too much chakra."

_Dog...Boar...Tiger!_ More chakra was expelled, but it was useless. Iruka dropped his head and rose from his seat, "I'm taking a break. I advise you to do the same, Naruto-kun."

Naruto wasn't paying attention. He quickly formed the handsigns again and released chakra. Another failure. He cursed under his breath and tried again.

Outside the window, Sakura watched, sitting in one of the trees. Naruto had been at it for thirty minutes. No, even during the taijutsu practice, Naruto had been attempting the jutsu while sparing with Shikamaru. Sakura caught a glimpse of it.

Naruto threw a punch at the ground in fury, "Damn it!"

Meanwhile, Iruka walked down the halls, passing by several teachers and out the door leading into the outside. It was a cloudy afternoon. Iruka paced through the grass and sat down in front of a tree. It was a habit he picked up over the years when needing a break, especially when the students were difficult to train. Training Naruto was hard work. However, he was learning something about the child. The Kyuubi container had potential. While not overly skilled in taijutsu or ninjutsu, Naruto would never give up on anything. He'd try and try until he succeeded.

Leaning his head back against bark, Iruka closed his eyes and imagined Naruto wearing the Hokage hat. He honestly didn't know if they boy would accomplish his goal. However, he had the drive to succeed. Iruka's eyes reopened slowly, looking into the branches. Among them, Sakura was staring intently at the Academy building. Surprised, Iruka said, "Sakura...?"

The girl looked down, surprised herself. Her left foot slipped on some leaves on the branch, and she fell backwards. Iruka rose quickly and barely managed to catch her fall. He moaned, "Oi, what are you doing here, Sakura-san? You should have gone home already."

The chuunin set Sakura down on her feet, and Sakura looked around, trying to come up with a good answer. Iruka sighed, and looked through the window. Naruto was still attempting his jutsu, and failing miserably.

In a flash of brilliance, an idea came to mind, "Never mind that, Sakura-san. As thanks for me saving you, I'd like to ask a favor."

Sakura stopped looking around and paid attention to her teacher.

* * *

**(Yamanaka Household)**

Several senbon needles lay on Ino's bed. She worked at her desk, grinding down the mushroom into a small powder. She had done research on methods to poison a target. Ino was no idiot. Far from it, in fact. She was second in the class, and had done her homework. A small tube of mild anesthetic was sitting right next to her powdered tiger mushroom. The paper of powder was lifted up and poured into the anesthetic. When Ino struck, the only thing Hinata would feel was a mild prick before being paralyzed for a couple hours.

After she finished that, she worked on another, more secretive project that would take all night to complete.

Unknown to her, two bugs rested on Ino's bag. One of them flew off and out the window. The other moved back inside the pack and continued waiting.

* * *

**(Konoha Streets)**

"So, to sum up, I'm going to beat Sasuke and become Hokage. Then, I'll be able to protect him and the rest of the village."

_That's kinda sweet of you,_ thought Sakura, _But do you have to mention nothing but that, ramen and your next plan for pranking Mizuki once every five minutes?!_

Sakura's looked away from Naruto, trying to ignore the boy's ranting. This was the favor Iruka asked, that she help Naruto overcome his problems with the **Henge no Jutsu**. Naruto said, "I really appreciate this... uh, what was your name again?"

Sakura said her name and continued trying to ignore him. He continued, "Once I become Hokage, I'll repay you by protecting you as well. You'll be one of my precious people Iruka always talks about."

The pink haired girl turned to Naruto and got in his face, "Naruto!"

Naruto was startled at her reaction, "Y-yes?!"

"Shut... up. You're acting like an annoying younger brother. I'm glad you have goals, but you don't have to push them on me every five minutes, OK?"

Naruto nodded. For a few minutes, they walked along silently. The crowds got out of the way of the demon boy. A couple whispered to Sakura to stay away from the demon boy, which Sakura ignored. She was asked by a teacher to do it, so it couldn't be helped. Not that she was opposed to helping Naruto. She gave a small blush at the thought of helping her friend.

"Hey look who it is! It's the forehead girl," someone shouted from behind. Sakura turned to face her oppressor. Naruto also turned at the same time. It was a girl, wearing a red skirt and a pink and blue casual shirt. Two gold bracelets hung from her left wrist. Surrounding her, three other girls stood at attention. Sakura cringed away from her, which the girl gave a taunting smirk at. "I see your guardian isn't around to protect you right now. We'll pay you back for the humiliation Ino caused us. Don't think we've forgotten."

The girl name was Fuku, and she was somewhere in the upper third of the class. While Sakura was considered one of the best kunoichi, even she couldn't hope to take on five girls at once. Originally, Fuku was the one picking on Sakura's forehead. Ino embarrassed her during the flower arranging class last year, throwing a flower in her mouth like a senbon and saying she was now poisoned. Her body started shaking in a small amount of fear. Naruto looked between her and Fuku. He whispered, "Sakura-chan?"

Fuku, for the first time, noticed Naruto and gave a foul smirk, "Look who it is. The class troublemaker and dropout. We don't have a quarrel with you this time. Step aside and you won't get hurt."

Naruto turned to the girl. His fists clenched tight as he growled out, "_Teme, _what was that? I didn't hear that quite right. You just called me a dropout?"

Fuku continued, "Yeah. What about it, _Dobe?!_ You're a loser, trash. You should step aside. Otherwise, we might have to pay you the same we're going to pay back to my _dear_ friend there. You know, forget it. Let's take them both out."

The five made their move, running down the dirt road, kicking up a storm of dust in their wake. Iruka's lessons began to come to mind. Especially the one about fighting multiple enemies.

_'If you face two or more enemies at once, Naruto-kun, you need a way to reduce those who can fight you. Taking on ten decent opponents at once is suicide. However if you can find a way to reduce the numbers your enemy can face you with at one time, your odds for victory will greatly increase.'_

Naruto looked around for something, anything that might suffice. Several feet away, there was a narrow alleyway that might work. They would need to get between the buildings. Naruto shouted, "Sakura, follow me!"

The boy grabbed Sakura's hand and ran down the street. One of the girls stood in the way, but Naruto just pushed her aside. The two entered the alley. It was wide enough for one person to stand, but not enough for two to fight together. They kept moving down the alley and turned to the left. However, Naruto and Sakura stopped. The alley would lead to a dead end. Fuku and her girls kept closing in from the rear. At that point, Naruto made a decision. _Sakura's in danger,_he thought. His fists opened up as he muttered, "Sakura-chan. Get behind me."

Sakura's shaking stopped as her bright eyes turned to her savior, "Huh?!"

His mind was moving a bit faster than usual. What could they do now? They were in at a dead end. Even if they found a way out, Fuku would probably still keep chasing them. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Naruto gave a small grin, "I will hold them off here. You try to find a way out of the alley. Don't worry, I'll be fine. You know where Ichiraku's is? Well, tell them you're a friend of Naruto's and they won't let Fuku inside."

Sakura looked shocked. She said, "You won't stand a chance against all five together!"

"What about each of them one at a time?"

Sakura's eyes widened. She nodded and continued down the alley to the dead end and started trying to climb up the wall. Meanwhile, Naruto went back down the alley and around the corner. Fuku had made her way down the alley quickly, but not to the end. Naruto swung his fist at her, causing her to jump back.

Fuku shouted, "You're in for a world of hurt, _dobe_!"

Naruto clenched his fists and took a defensive stand. He smiled and shouted, "You want Sakura-chan? You'll have to go through me first!"

Fuku gave a grin and said, "That's the plan, brat."

She ran forward, her fist cocked back to take a swing. At the last instant, Naruto jumped backwards, causing her to strike nothing but air, and then bounded forwards with one foot. His other lashed out at Fuku's face. Fuku was off balance and her guard was down as her face impacted the boy's heel. The force of the strike pushed her back several feet into the arms of her girls. Naruto didn't follow up, because his only goal was to allow Sakura's escape.

As Fuku sat up, two things were obvious to her. One, her nose was broken. There was blood streaming from both nostrils and her vision was a bit blurry. Her nose felt like it was on fire, but she ignored it. The second thing, Naruto had taken her by surprise. She remembered the two fights the blond had against Sasuke. Naruto was ruthlessly crushed both times, made to look like a fool. However, the Naruto in front of her was more skilled than she estimated. Fuku shouted, "Obter 'im! (After him!)" Her nose prevented her from speaking correctly, but her girls got it right. They approached him more cautiously this time.

Naruto didn't enjoy fighting girls, but he promised Sakura he'd keep them from getting through. Quickly in his head, he numbered the four kunoichi, number 1, 2, 3 and 4. She blocked number one's punch and pushed her back. Number two vaulted over the falling comrade, attempting to get behind Naruto. The boy bounded back another couple paces. The turn in the alley was about ten paces away. Naruto gritted his teeth as number two landed and snapped a kick at the boy's face. Naruto held up both arms, blocking the attack and sweeping his feet, tripping her up. As she fell, number three struck with her foot against Naruto's midsection. The boy grabbed his chest in pain as he was pushed back two more paces. She spun in the air, swinging her other foot around to land a second kick.

Naruto refused to allow the injury to get to him, nor to get caught off guard like that again. He ducked the kick and returned it with a punch. Number three proved to be more resilient as well, as she blocked the punch and didn't budge a single step. For ten minutes, Naruto held off the girls, until he was finally pushed back to the turn in the alley. He looked to where he had left Sakura, and smirked, _Alright!_

Looking down to the end of the alley made Naruto drop his guard. Fuku punched Naruto, laying him against the wall. She stepped over the boy and down into the alley. However, Sakura wasn't there. All that was present was some trash cans not big enough to hold a child. Fuku turned back to the downed boy, who was chuckling to himself. She grabbed him by the collar and hissed, "Where is she? Where is forehead girl?!"

The boy looked up to the sky and onto the roofs. There, he could make out his new friend, the one he would protect no matter what. Naruto gave a calm smile at Fuku and whispered, "If I knew, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you. And her name is Sakura-chan, _teme_."

Fuku and the girls began spending the next hour beating Naruto within an inch of his life. Meanwhile, Sakura watched the whole thing from the roof, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**(Haruno Household)**

Sakura was late for dinner. The girl had told her mother she might stay after class at the academy for awhile, but this was ridiculous. Kazumi Haruno sat down at the table, hoping that there was no problem with her daughter. She was such a peaceful girl, at least until she had met the Yamanaka heiress. After that, she had managed to stand up for herself more than before.

Kazumi's husband was a member of ANBU and currently away on a mission, so he would not be dining with his family. She sighed and pulled out an album. There were dozens, hundreds of sketches of various landmarks contained within. Each one was special to her in different ways. She began remembering her traveling days, before coming to Konoha and settling down.

_flashback_

_Kazumi had come in from Waves. She had left in order to travel the world and see it all. She had seen the ruins of Sky Village, the great rock mountains of Kumogakure, and the misty lakes of Mizu no Kuni. But it was during her trip to Iwa that she met her husband. The citizens of Lightning Country had warned her against going to Iwa. There was a war going on between them and Konoha. That was one of the reasons she had gone, to see some of the ninja battling against each other. However, Kazumi was convinced it was best to gain some skill in taijutsu. Bandits were common throughout the elemental countries, but up to this point she had traveled with caravans, who were often protected halfway by one country's set of ninja, and then continued on to their destination guarded by the new nation's ninja._

_Anyway, there would be no caravans to Iwa from Rice Country. She hiked through the mountains and caves to slip into the Iwa border. She had weathered the great rock storms that took place in the windy mountains. Sometimes, she ran across Iwa patrols, but they never caught her. Eventually, she found herself looking over a great plain where a hundred Iwa ninja were entrenched on the border of the Iwa/Konoha border. There she witnessed the Yellow Flash use his signature jutsu. In a span of one minute, every Iwa ninja lay dead._

_After that, she watched one of the great battles between the Tsuchikage and future Hokage from high in the mountain range. However while she watched, Iwa ANBU appeared around her, moving to kill her. Her taijutsu was inadequate to take them all on. And then, she met him. Two Konoha ninja appeared in the middle of the group. One grabbed her and made a run for the Konoha lines. The other, an older man with a bowl cut hair and green outfit, entered battle against all four at once._

_end flashback_

She flipped the page, and smiled. A photo was taken on the Hokage mount. There, The Fourth Hokage gave a calming smirk while standing behind Kazumi and his husband. The man was wearing a black long sleeve shirt and blue long pants. Kazumi wore a casual red shirt with a brown jacket over it and black shorts. In her hands, there was a pink haired baby who had his light green eyes.

Her musings ended when the door slammed open and a shout, "MOM!"

Kazumi knew there was a problem, because her daughter always tried to put on a good face around her. She was just like her father, though Sakura had inherited her good looks. As she turned to the door, her calm, demeanor came to an end, noticing who else was present. The little pranking troublemaker, Naruto Uzumaki. Her anger at the boy faded immediately when she noticed Naruto was covered in blood and looked like he had been savaged by a wild bear of some sort.

* * *

**(5 minutes ago to present)**

Sakura was still crying when she got home with Naruto leaning on her. Blood was leaking from both nostrils and his mouth. There were bruises everywhere. However, Naruto didn't give up her location. He even saw her watching him. The boy had just looked to her and gave a smile through his swollen and bloody lips. As soon as Fuku finished beating the life out of the boy, the girls left him in the alley.

Sakura came to Naruto's side after a couple minutes of waiting in fear. The boy was still breathing alright, but it would be best to take him to a hospital. She had told him so, but the boy shook his head vehemently, "Just get me back home and let me sleep it off. I've taken much worse. Don't take me to the hospital."

The girl didn't feel inclined to agree, but the boy seemed to shift a bit, as if remembering something painful. Fear perhaps? Sakura thought about taking Naruto to his apartment, but hers was much closer. Naruto was barely conscious, so Sakura helped him up and let the boy lean on her for support. She said, "I'll take you to my house. There, you'll be able to rest up. Tomorrow if you haven't gotten better, we'll take you to the hospital then."

Naruto put his head on her shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, _Nee-chan_."

Together, the two trudged through the streets until they reached the Haruno household. She threw the door open and pulled him through. Kazumi shifted her gaze between the two of them. The pink haired academy student flinched at her mother's expression of anger at the boy.

Kazumi had been told by her husband to stay far away from the boy. **(1)** He was a troublemaker for his teachers of the worst kind and beyond dangerous. However, she would not turn the child away, especially since he was in need.

The bed was quickly cleared as Sakura pulled Naruto over. The boy had already lost consciousness seconds after arriving at the apartment, so he didn't resist as Sakura's mom put him down on the bed. Sakura went upstairs and slid open the medical cabinet, removing some cloths and bandages. She came back downstairs and handed the medical items to her mother. Kazumi said with some scorn, "What did the troublemaker do this time? And how did he drag you into it?"

Sakura's eyes were still a bit red from crying. She looked at her and said with concern, "It wasn't his fault, Mom! Fuku and her girls ambushed us as we were coming home. Naruto held them off so I could escape. He saw me hiding on that roof, but all he did was smile at me as the girls beat him."

Kazumi set down the cloth, bent over her and hugged her tightly, wishing that nothing would harm his precious girl. She shushed her daughter reassuringly and whispered, "It's alright. They won't hurt you now."

She turned back to the boy and gave him a look over. There wasn't an inch of Naruto's body that wasn't bruised or appeared broken. However, there was something strange. Naruto had clearly been beaten to a bloody pulp. Blood covered a good portion of his clothes and body, but there wasn't a single cut on him. His nose, which had appeared seriously broken and bleeding, had stopped bleeding almost right after Kazumi had begun cleaning the boy up. There was no swelling either, which should have appeared on places where he had been especially beaten badly.

She shook her head, telling herself to think about it later. For now, she had to set what bones were broken. She asked why they didn't go to the hospital, but learned quickly that Naruto didn't want to go there. The boy lay there on the bed while the Haruno women looked at him in confusion.

* * *

**(Next Day, Academy)**

The confusion of the night continued on in the next morning. When Kazumi checked the boy out, she discovered there wasn't a single bruise left from last night. Sakura noticed this as well, and the girl now sat in class, looking at Naruto as he joked with Shikamaru and Hinata at their table.

It spread to Fuku as she noticed the blond boy now sitting in the chair, completely uninjured. _There's no way he should be here,_ Fuku thought. _T__hose injuries would have put a Jounin out of commission for a day or two at least, even with iijutsu (Medical ninjutsu)._

She would have been even more confused if she knew Naruto never went to the hospital. Iruka walked into the class, and all chatter died almost immediately. He gave a small grin and said, "Alright class. Today, we're going to have a test!"

Many of the students groaned, but Iruka took no notice of this. He continued, "We're heading out to another of the academy training grounds, where you will sort yourselves into teams of three. Once you get there, we will explain how we will test you. Good luck, everyone!"

Iruka walked out, only to have a female kunoichi with red eyes walk in. The woman gave a small grin as she said, "My name is Kurenai Yuuhi, and I'll be observing your test today. I want you all to get up, and walk quietly out the door and wait for me in the hall."

The students filed out. Next, Kurenai had them follow her out the doors and across Konoha to training ground four. This particular training ground was unique in many ways. The trees weren't nearly as tall here as they were in the rest of the village. The training ground was surrounded by more massive trees. The students climbed up into the branches, where they sat down and waited for Kurenai to continue, "First, sort yourselves into teams of three. It's best that you form a team of two boys and one girl if you can, that way we can even out the groups."

Naruto looked around, trying to figure out who he should ask to join his team. Shikamaru was an obvious choice for two reasons: he was close at hand and Naruto knew him the best of everyone here. He was torn between two people, Sakura and Hinata. He looked frantically between the two of them. Hinata only looked at him, but Sakura was looking between him and Sasuke.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had already decided it best to go with Shino and Ino. Ordinarily, he would reject Ino instantly, but he made her promise that if he let her join his team, she would stop fawning over him like his mass of stupid fangirls and prove herself to be useful to him. On their way to meet up, Ino bumped into Hinata. The Hyuuga turned to apologize to her, but she was already out of range. It was strange, because for a second, it was like Hinata felt something prick her in the arm, but the sensation went away immediately.

Sakura turned back to Naruto, but suddenly someone grabbed her arm. She turned around to see an overweight Chouji and a feral-grinning Kiba looking at her. Chouji put another chip in his mouth as Kiba let go of her shoulder. The overweight boy spoke first, "You need a team? Kiba and I need another member."

Sakura looked between Naruto and Chouji, but Naruto just gave a thumbs up and went with Hinata. She sighed and said, "Yeah, I do. Chouji-kun, right, and Kiba-kun?"

The two nodded. After a few minutes of sorting, everyone was sorted into teams of three. Not all had teams of two boys and a girl. Fuku's team consisted of two other girls in her group. Kurenai didn't pay any attention to this though. She began explaining, "Alright. Take a long look over the battlefield."

They stared at the training ground from the southern most point. Below them, there was a single clearing into the forest. The clearing was about a hundred feet in width. The clearing stretched towards the west for half a mile, and then ended towards a thick group of trees. There were a few clearings scattered around in the sea of smaller trees (smaller than the one they were currently in by fifty feet or more). Towards the north, there was a massive clearing on the edge of the sea of trees, where one huge tree rose, even higher than even the normal massive trees.

Kurenai said, "Within this forest, there are a number of chuunin testers. This game is much more than a simple game of hide and seek. The instructors are assigned to capture you. You all are allowed to defend yourself and make your way to the large tree in the distance."

One of the students said, "Kurenai-sensei, what are the rules of this game?"

The student didn't understand that it wasn't a game, but he would find out and quickly. Kurenai replied with a malicious glint in her eye, "You may use any method you see fit to make it across the field."

Sasuke gave a small smirk as he said, "Any method, even say killing the examiner and burning down the entire forest?"

Kurenai shook her head, "This exercise is non-lethal. But if you see fit to burn your way to the finish line, that is up to you. Now, who is willing to volunteer to go first?"

Sasuke smirked as rose from his crouching position and walked forward. Shino walked in his wake. Ino hesitated, but then followed after, intent not to let her man down. The Uchiha said, "Team Uchiha is ready for the first exam." Kurenai spoke to those behind them, "Alright. The rest of you stay here for a few minutes. I will take the first group to the entrance."

* * *

The three and the tokubetsu jounin **(2)** jumped down into the mass of trees and wondered over to the entrance to the training ground. As they walked along, Ino's head was ducked so no one could see her mouth was smiling_. Too bad I won't be there to see my work in action, _she thought, _but__ I'll be satisfied with her failing the test._ Her fingers returned her senbon to the pouch and kept walking.

_

* * *

_

Things kept getting stranger for Hinata. As the rest of the students observed the field of trees, her vision was slowly starting to blur. The trees went out of focus and they seemed to be one green mass. The clouds became overcast by the blue sky. Her attention span was cut in half, but she managed to realize something was wrong. Her hands moved together in succession, and the veins around her eyes bulged. She gasped as her own chakra circulatory system became visible.

The blue chakra that flowed through her veins was slowing down, especially from one point in her arm. She knew immediate action needed to be taken, so she tapped the tenketsu that surrounded the affected areas, which included her left arm, her forehead, and right leg. The chakra around the affected areas stopped immediately. They found different passages, and the chakra stabilized elsewhere in the body. However, the damage had been done. She could no longer use her byakugan, though she could see with a regular vision. Her mind was still somewhat groggy, but operational. However, the left hand was a loss for now.

Before the test had even begun, Hinata had been crippled by the action of one vengeful academy student.

**(Please Review)**

**Additional notes:**

**(1)** - Kazumi Haruno doesn't know about the Kyuubi. I think of it like this, the knowledge about the Kyuubi is a matter of military importance, so the information would be classified. So, civilians don't know about Naruto's condition, but have been conditioned both by Naruto's actions and by other Konoha ninja to avoid the boy as he was a danger. Other civilians may have gotten the idea he was the Kyuubi from the whisker marks. That may explain why Teuchi never looked at Naruto with contempt, because he never knew about Jinchuuriki.

**(2)** - Kurenai is tokubetsu jounin. She's not yet a full jounin, as she was a "new jounin" when she took on her team.

As I have explained before, this story will definitely be Naruto/Hinata. However, I will not really focus on the romance, as I will add it as appropriate. This is a story about ninjas, not a romance novel. As for Sasuke romance, I haven't the slightest clue. Could be Sakura or Ino. Maybe he won't end up with anyone at all. I still have to think about it.

I was going to have more focus on the Academy War Game Exam this chapter, but things just kept piling up in between. Next chapter will be mostly if not completely about the War Games. Ino certainly is a vengeful girl. I wouldn't want to get caught on her bad side, that's for sure. I plan on having Naruto and Sasuke at each others' throats most of the time and same with Ino and Hinata (more one sided from Ino to Hinata than the other way around). I enjoyed creating Kazumi Haruno. She was just so much fun to write.

I fully believe that the transformation is a full transformation, kinda. Chakra can change the structure of whatever it clings itself to when expelled, thus Naruto can become an actual Iruka. However, he doesn't obtain the physique of Iruka or say Gai. Additionally, Naruto cannot recreate the sharingan in all its complexity from transformations (nor the byakugan). However, he can transform into a kunai or shuriken. But, he won't be as strong as a real shuriken or kunai. (Greater chakra control = closer representation of shuriken, kunai, etc.) "Kunai Naruto" would still be able to stab or cut through objects less dense than himself, but between an actual kunai and Naruto Kunai, actual kunai wins every time.


	5. Wargames 2

**Dueling Hokages**

**Disclaimer: As much as I enjoy Naruto, I don't own it. I'd like to also thank Stalker of Stories. She's a very good Beta Reader. **

**Chapter 3: Wargames 2**

**(Forest Academy training Ground)**

**(Naruto's team)**

Hinata took a seat against the trunk. Her world was spinning and her arm felt numb from where she sealed the poisonous chakra. The other students didn't pay any attention to her, as they were all interested in the upcoming match. Sasuke's team had an hour to cross the terrain. It would be one hell of a spectacle. She leaned over the edge of the branch and heaved. She was sure now, there was something wrong.

* * *

**(Sasuke's team)**

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

A massive fireball erupted into the forest. With the attack away, Sasuke jumped away, getting under the cover of the branches. The boy was brave, but not stupid. The idea was to draw attention to this area, bring them all together. Then, Shino would go to work. Several chuunin appeared together at the base of the fire, searching for the academy student who started the fire. Ino had to admit, she was quite impressed. A small amount of bugs descended on the teachers and clung to each one. With that, her crush had marked every single ninja within range. The bug user could now track each person. With the initial plan complete, the team disappeared from cover, making their way away from the chuunin.

Shino took the lead, with Ino in second and Sasuke watching the rear. It was a good plan. It was quite simple. Sasuke had taken his time on the branches overlooking the training ground. He made a quick survey of the area, noting a river to the east that ran the entire distance. There was a chance that some of the ninja were skilled in tracking, so the river would be the best means of traversing the forest. The water would hide their scent.

As they approached the river, Shino stopped suddenly and said, "There's another chuunin ahead."

Sasuke nodded and they took another route, cutting through several trees towards another part of the river. Shino stopped again and reported yet another chuunin. Sasuke frowned, _What's going on here? Are they watching the river because that's where we were taught to go in case we need to move undetected?_

Whatever the reason, it was clear that travelling the river was a no go. He took his team back through the denser part of the forest, looking for a way out of the trap they've fallen into. He said, "Shino. Is there a way out of the forest, or will we have to fight our way out?"

The bug user didn't respond right away. He listened for a minutes. Within his mind, a picture began forming from the choir of insects that sung throughout the forest. The songs were like a form of radar, telling him exactly where each of the chuunin were stationed. The bugs within his head translated it in a way their human partner would understand. Throughout the surrounding area, the examiners were weaving a tight net to capture the students. The teachers were scanning the whole region. They couldn't escape through the upper reaches of the trees or on the ground. They would be found eventually. However, each net had their weak point. There weren't enough to entrap the entire area. To the east, a pair of chuunin travelled together within a clump of trees.

Shino nodded, "They have us hemmed in, but not caught. Follow me."

The two academy students followed after the bug user. They kept to the bushes and watched carefully. Emerging from cover, two academy chuunin emerged, joking like they were on a picnic instead of being watched by three dangerous predators. Sasuke scoffed at them, noting another thing that had to be changed when he became Hokage. The standards were too low for their chuunin. All of them should be at least on Anko's level. They spend too much time playing around and joking instead of training to be the best.

Sasuke made to move, but Ino grabbed his shoulder, whispering, "I will deal with them."

She shuffled through the bushes and undergrowth until the two teammates were a good distance away in another direction. She walked forward. The two instructors noticed her instantly. One made a serious expression while the other one seemed to snicker to himself at her idiocy. The first instructor had glasses while the second had long hair flowing from the back. Both their headbands were wrapped around their necks.

The glasses shinobi shook his head as he said, "Little girl, where are the rest of your teammates?"

Ino didn't respond. Her hand slipped into the pouch behind her and removed something clenched tightly in her hands. She gave off the air of an uncaring girl who was just exploring, not even caring about the test. She bent over and gave a cute smile, "Who cares about them. They'll do just fine on their own. Those boys didn't care about the cool thing I found in the forest. Hey sensei, would you like to see it?"

The two walked over, unconcerned as they would shortly capture her. Well, it was her second year and the first test of the year. If they had paid closer attention, perhaps they would have seen the malicious glint in her eye. They both bent over her, unguarded in that moment as they smiled and asked, "What is it, little girl?"

Behind her back, she suddenly clinched her fist tight enough to crush whatever was in her hand. She swung her arm around and opened her hand. Tan powder flew into the two ninja's faces. They were so surprised, that they took a deep breath of whatever was within. From within her hand, a crushed paper ball was launched into the trees, remnants of her attack. Her face now shone with malice, "I'm going to show you our backs as my team and I escape and pass this stupid test. You two, on the other hand, will be unconscious within five minutes."

The two felt the paralysis flow through their bloodstreams within seconds. They tried to grab at her, but she just jumped backwards every time they got close. Within minutes, both were out cold. The three proceeded further into the forest, Sasuke and Shino now holding their teammate in a higher regard than before.

* * *

**(Naruto's team)**

Naruto couldn't see much other than some smoke from one part in the forest early on in Sasuke's test. He got bored, so he moved to the edge of the crowd and decided to practice with his kunai. He nodded at Shikamaru, who nodded back and began following the Jinchuuriki. However, as they approached the edge, Naruto noticed Hinata resting against the trunk of the tree. She looked more pale than usual and there was sweat rolling down her forehead. He bent over her and said with concern in his voice, "Hinata! What's wrong? Are you alright?"

He bent over her and felt her forehead. She was burning up! Naruto started shouting for help, "Sens-"

Hinata put her hand to his mouth, her face reddening at touching the boy of her dreams. She whispered, "Naruto-kun, I'm... I'm fine... don't worry about me. I'll be ready for our turn next... so don't worry about it."

It would have been more believable if it wasn't a second later that she covered her mouth and leaned over the edge of the branch. Her lunch came up a minute after that. Naruto sped through the crowd towards the teacher. Surely, whoever was overseeing the lessons would understand and their team would be allowed to forgo the exams for a day, when his heart sank as the teacher came into view. Kurenai must be watching the students from within the boundaries of the test itself, because Mizuki was the teacher watching over them at the moment.

Naruto paused for a second, wondering if he should bother asking, but then decided that Hinata needed help more than the grudge that ran between the two of them. Shikamaru and Naruto went forward, carrying Hinata between them, "Sensei, call the medics. Hinata isn't doing too well, and needs attention immediately!"

Mizuki looked down at the girl. On the outside, he kept a stoic and concerned expression, but inside he was smirking. His expression changed after Naruto finished telling him the circumstances to that of contempt, "So, you're going to escape the test that way I see."

Naruto opened his mouth in shock, "Wha-"

The teacher grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him close, "Don't think I don't see through your clever strategy. You tried to escape the test because you weren't prepared for it today, but you're going next, right after Sasuke's team, got it!"

Naruto's shocked expression faded into that of pure loathing, "Fine, sensei."

The boy was thrown back down to the ground, and Mizuki jumped ahead to another branch so that he could watch Sasuke's team closer. Naruto picked himself up and looked to their female teammate. She looked more pale than before, and breathing heavily. Her eyes were drooping, like they were trying to sleep, but she kept forcing them open again. For the briefest second, he wondered why she was pushing herself to stay awake, but those thoughts disappeared quickly. They had to make it through the exam quickly.

Little did he know, Shikamaru was thinking the same thing. He took a seat facing the forest and put both hands together in a hand sign. As Sasuke and his team continued through the forest, plans after plans began racing through his head, new ideas added and discarded within seconds. Not even Naruto's repeated whining could pull him out of his meditation.

* * *

**(Sasuke's team)**

In part of the forest, there were a number of trees that had fallen over, dead of old age. Sasuke pulled himself over the top of one of the massive stumps. He reached down, pulled up Ino and then turned towards the end point. It was a clearing visible from their position. However, there were a number of chuunin in the surrounding forest between them and the exit.

Ino crouched down and looked far into the distance. It was a shame she didn't have any of her clan jutsu yet. This would be the perfect moment, the chuunin unaware and guards dropped. All the chuunin they had met along the way had underestimated them badly and paid the price.

Shino thought for a minute, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't have as big a hive in his body as some of the other Aburames. They were academy students, and no matter how skilled as they were, they would fall to this amount of chuunin in a frontal assault. He silently lamented that he didn't have enough bugs.

Then, a thought entered his mind. He called back all the bugs he had, except for the ones he had planted on the ones in his way. Every bug began searching. Once they found their targets, they would capture them and bring them back to the hive, aka Shino. Bees, spiders, mosquitoes, flies, moths, each kikaichu bug, brought back a queen or female of each.

As they were brought back, Shino laid his hand over them and poured on his chakra. Within seconds, each had been bonded and dragged into Shino's hive. All of them began singing, calling their brethren to him.

Sasuke looked on with great interest while Ino was just disgusted. She backed away from the bug user, not wanting to be caught up in the massive bugfest. Once the final bee had been brought back, their assault began. All the bugs assaulted the chuunin en-masse. The bugs landed on the chuunin, and crawled all over them. The bees stung at their prey, spiders bit them, and masquitoes sucked their blood. They were completely unprepared for the forest insects turning against them.

Into the midst, Team Sasuke ran forth. Shino sent out another message, and the mass of bugs opened a path. However, this order cost Shino. He had used too much chakra bonding the insects to himself. His breath grew labored as he raced across the clearing. Black began eating at the edge of his vision.

After what seemed like minutes, but had only been a couple seconds, the team had arrived. Kurenai had seen what they had done, and congratulated the team for getting through to the end. However, the celebration ended when they all noticed Shino trying to hide his heavy breathing. His vision faded out, and he fell over, completely exhausted and low on chakra.

* * *

**(Sakura's team)**

Sakura walked through the mass of people, trying to find a good spot to see Sasuke's ultimate triumph. Mizuki had jumped to a higher branch so he could see further than the students. The chuunin looked pleased, too pleased in fact. That predatory grin she had seen plastered on his face made her shiver. However, it disappeared an instant later, making her question whether she ever saw it. She leapt forward to the front of the massive branch to replace where the teacher stood, hoping for a better view.

There, kneeling on the ground, was Hinata and Naruto. Hinata looked pale and her face was covered in sweat. She looked like she would lose consciousness any second, with her head bobbing and her eyes drooping. It was obvious to anyone that the girl was sick. Naruto's face expressed great worry, no doubt brought on by the fact that Hinata was leaning on his shoulders. Sakura leapt up to her teacher and said, "Sensei, you need to look at Hinata-chan. She needs some help right away."

Mizuki waved her off, "No, no, no. You see, it is all a big show by those two. Hinata gives herself a mild poison and then takes a fall for Naruto, who hasn't studied for this at all. She'll be alright, I'm sure. They will be taking this test next. Then, we'll send them to the medics to deal with the aftereffects of their childish plan. The chuunin will probably capture them quickly."

"But Mizu-"

"Are you arguing with me, Sakura-san?" Mizuki questioned in a dangerous tone.

Sakura flinched away, muttering, "No, sensei."

"Good. Then please return to your team. Sasuke's team should be finishing up any-"

A small fireball shot over the training ground, signaling that Sasuke's test was over, and that Naruto's team could begin right away.

Mizuki smirked, "Very good. Now, off with you now. I have to prepare the next team."

The girl gritted her teeth as she jumped back down into the mass of students. Many of them were catching on that something had happened to Hinata. They all watched as Team Naruto was led to the beginning point. Most wondered what was Mizuki doing, allowing a sick girl to take the exam? Others respected that the girl was willing to continue. Only a few truly believed that Naruto had set this up. He might have been annoying and a bit of an idiot, but he was a decent person. Sakura joined her team and told them to keep an eye on Mizuki-sensei, watch for anything they could hold over him.

Kiba, one of the wildest delinquents of the class, took to the advice immediately, watching the leader carefully. Chouji wasn't as sure. While he didn't enjoy his teachers, he did believe they were trying to help them along. However, if it was what Sakura wanted, who was he to deny a friend's request?

* * *

**(Naruto's team)**

Naruto picked up Hinata and began carrying her piggy-back style. Hinata's face lit up like a red light, "Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing...Naruto-k-k-k-kun!"

The boy smirked and said, "We'll get through this, Hinata-chan. I promise you won't be left behind. We just need to make it to the other side, right?"

The girl nodded, slowly. Naruto smirked, "Then I'll carry you there. You can take a nap; me and Shikamaru can take care of this."

Hinata made to protest immediately, but she was silenced by Shikamaru, who spoke up, "This is such a hassle, Naruto. But, we have to do this. If not for her sake, then to spite Mizuki-sensei. Once we make it through, he'll get his, at long last."

Mizuki walked forward, ordering Naruto to follow him as he jumped down to the forest floor. They were escorted a short distance and then re-explained the rules, that there were basically no rules with the exception that there would be no killing. Then, the chuunin disappeared in to the upper forest to watch the team. Shikamaru knelt on the ground and began revealing his plan.

His face was mixed between his usual lazy eyes, and a clever, angry smirk as he rose from his kneeling position, the image of a plan burning in his eyes. However, he would need some help. Hinata might be able to provide it, "Hinata, you're clan is the wielder of the byakugan, one of the doujutsu of Konoha, correct?"

Hinata looked confused, but nodded, "Yeah. But I had to seal off my Byakuugan. Whatever is making me sick spread quickly, and it spread along my chakra network. I cannot use it."

Shikamaru grimaced and began taking in all the information they had:

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki  
The only living member of the Uzumaki clan from Uzu no kuni (Whirlpool Country).  
No known special abilities beyond heightened chakra level

Skills:  
Higher than average taijutsu

Equipment:  
4 kunai (one leg pouch and rear pouch)  
20 throwing star shuriken  
1 pack of instant ramen

Hinata Hyuuga  
the Heir to the Hyuuga clan and wielder of the Byakuugan (Byakuugan currently unusable)

Skills:  
Jyuuken master (gentle fist)  
Best taijutsu female user in the class  
Note: taijutsu skills sealed off because sickness forces Naruto to carry her

Equipment:  
12 throwing star shuriken  
100 meters of wire  
A package of pocky

Shikamaru Nara  
Son of Shikaku Nara, not a clan heir **(1)**

Skills:  
High level intelligence  
Transformation ninjutsu  
Clone Jutsu  
Substitution Jutsu (Clone and substitution taught by father, along with transformation at a later time)  
Average taijutsu  
Incomplete Shadow Immitation jutsu (Kage Mane no jutsu)

Equipment:  
10 kunai  
5 throwing star shuriken  
2 flash bombs  
5 explosive notes

* * *

Shikamaru knew they were in trouble. They didn't have hardly enough equipment to deal with the amount of chuunin which would no doubt be present in this exam. His fingers trembled in anger at Mizuki. That bastard needed to be put out of their misery.

He shook his head, thoughts of revenge for a more appropriate time. For now, they stared around the clearing. There were plenty of trees and foliage that they could hide in. No doubt at least one chuunin, probably a tracker chuunin, was on his way. Plans were dismissed once again, one after the other. The wind began blowing as an idea came to mind. It was crude and dangerous. However, it would buy them some time to gather more equipment and plan some more.

He smirked as the plan began to pan out, new ideas came to mind. Naruto, meanwhile, started walking away, Hinata on his back. Shikamaru muttered, "Naruto, we can still win this. However, I will need your help. You must do exactly as I say, when I say it."

The blond looked at him skeptically. In the time they spent together, all Naruto saw was the boy's tendency to complain, lay down and watch the clouds. The boy was just barely passing the academy, and he asks for complete trust now? Shikamaru must have sensed Naruto's distrust and countered, "You have a plan, Naruto? Then speak up. Because right now, we are basically one student down and a second crippled by having to carry her. We need to pass, and pass quickly. You really want Mizuki to win?"

That shut Naruto up before he could start. He nodded and Shikamaru began laying out his plan.

* * *

**(Chuunin Side)**

A headache formed in the back of the chuunin's mind as he walked through the trees towards the clearing. He gripped his head and rubbed it as he grew ever closer. Team Sasuke had done a number on them. Several chuunin had been pulled from the exam already, victim of a paralytic poison which debilitated a person for up to eight hours. He himself had been quite a distance away, guarding the river, but when they all met again shortly after, two chuunin didn't report back. Both were found unconscious and taken away. Well, he wouldn't be caught off guard like that. He growled and scanned the area.

He had been tracking them through the forest, heading generally in the direction where they had been dropped off. He wasn't allowed to use his chakra detecting abilities, as it gave him a supremely unfair advantage. Instead, he used prior knowledge given to all chuunin. Basically, he planned on cheating. The location of where the exam would began was well known. However, the chuunin were not allowed to enter it. Kurenai was there to make sure the rules of the exams were followed...on both sides. However, she was dealing with Sasuke's team, as one of the three teammates had collapsed at the very end of the exam. So, he would have a five to ten minute window of opportunity to snatch the kids and drag them where he could claim he caught them. The clearing was filled with all sorts of plant life. Bushes, flowers, massive and small trees crowded the area, making it hard to find anything outside the clearing. The grass and weeds were also overgrown.

Sure enough, however, he found evidence that they had been here recently. There was a discarded package of pocky and some instant ramen. He stepped forward towards the wrapper to pick it up and take a smell of it. He wasn't an Inuzuka, not by a long shot. However, the chuunin had learned a trick or two on scent detection, and the scent of the user would prove useful. One step from the wrapper, however, he discovered several important details. First, the academy students were a lot better than he gave them credit for. Second, He should have paid closer attention to his surroundings, and maybe he would have realized that there were six wire traps strung around the wrapper. And finally, he had just stepped into one of those traps.

In a heartbeat, the wire wrapped itself snug around his foot and pulled him into the upper canopy. A second later, he stopped shooting into the tree and hung just above a branch on which team Naruto stood. A third second later, he heard the sound of something big coming at him at 20 miles an hour. He kicked to spin around to see what it was, only to have something hard slam into the side of his head. Blackness overtook him as he lost consciousness.

* * *

**(Team Naruto)**

Shikamaru grinned, "Far too easy. Shinobi rule number 6: _never underestimate your enemy_."

Naruto helped bring down the unconscious chuunin. The team began scavenging equipment from the unconscious older ninja. Explosive notes, shuriken, scrolls, more ninja wire, they even took the vest. Shinobi wear was one of the classes covered last year, and the chuunin vest was described in great detail. The cloth was made of a fiber designed to resist kunai and shuriken. Underneath that cloth, there was a couple layers of wire mashing that provided further protection from kunai and also punches. Underneath that, there was a series of interlocking metal plates that allowed for full range of motion, but also protected against katanas and tantos.

With all this, the Nara began constructing a new set of plans, ones that would get him and his team to the final clearing. The explosive notes would be of great use in the future, while Hinata might need the chuunin vest. For some reason, he believed that the academy instructors might be trying to get Naruto to fail. Research would need to be done later as to why, but such thoughts were for a later time. For whatever reason, this particular chuunin had explosive notes on him after all. He had Hinata begin to work with the explosive tags and wire as she rested against the tree trunk. Naruto, meanwhile, began scouting around for more chuunin. The Nara trusted Naruto to do that much, as he knew the prankster was a difficult mark to catch over the years. The chuunin wouldn't be able to keep up...probably.

* * *

**(Team Sakura)**

Sakura sat off to the side, waiting her friends' return. Ino would be nice, but so would Naruto or Hinata. She blinked and thought about her newest friend, Hinata. It was obvious to everyone present that Hinata was not feeling well. Why would Mizuki allow her to enter the exam? It didn't make sense.

Someone put their arm on her shoulder, causing the poor girl to jump up in alarm. She turned towards the offender with an attack stance, who raised his hands defensively and grinned, "Whoa, whoa, relax."

Kiba looked at her with his wild grin. Ordinarily, that grin was infectious, but now she turned away and crouched on the ground, clearly sad for some reason. Kiba blinked and noticed how Sakura pulled into herself, "Oy, what's wrong? Come on, all I did was put my arm on your shoulder. You couldn't have picked a better teammate."

Sakura shook her head, "It's not that. Remember Hinata? Well, she wasn't feeling well going into the exam. I just hope everything's alright inside."

Kiba's smile turned mischievous, "Oh? You're not worried about that Naruto-kid?"

Sakura's fist clenched as her head turned to the dog boy, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

he continued on, foolishly, "I've seen how you've been watching him over the last couple days. I was there, watching when he took the bullet for you against Fu and her girls."

The boy rambled on, not taking note that the pink haired girl started shaking all over, "I even heard that he spent the night at your house. I wonder what happened there-"

Suddenly, the temperature took a nose-dive. Kiba's mischievous grin disappeared as a black aura began encompassing Sakura. The students that had begun gathering around her moved backwards. She hissed, "You're dead, you bastard. Hear me? You're dead."

A kunai appeared out of nowhere in her hands as she rose from her crouching position and began stepping forward. Her aura petrified the other students, except for one. Chouji finally took the initiative to step in, "Sakura-chan! Please stop. We're probably going to go next, and we'll need Kiba for the exam. Kiba, apologize, now!"

Kiba got on his knees and bowed low, sensing she would indeed follow through with her threat if he didn't. Sakura stood there for a second, the atmosphere getting even colder. Kiba looked into her eyes...which gleamed with an unholy light. She spoke in a raging low tone, "You are lucky, you lowly dog. He's right. I need you for this exam. However, it won't last forever. The instant the exam ends, I will show you exactly what Naruto went through the other night. Consider it punishment for not stepping in to help."

Then, just like that, the killing atmosphere disappeared. She appeared normal again, though the girl now looked at Kiba with a dead expression. Kiba backed away from her towards Chouji and muttered, "Is she for real, man? I was just joking. I wasn't actually there myself. Hell, I heard Fu and the girls talking earlier this morning. Besides, he looked fine as it was, so what's the deal?"

Chouji shook his head, "Don't know. However, those jokes were a bad idea. Never mess with a girl's feelings. It'll be one of the last things you'll ever do."

Kiba gazed at Chouji and asked, "Where did you learn that?"

The Akamichi gave a grin, "From you. Tell me, what would you like me to say about you at your funeral? I'm pretty fond of warning the others not to follow your example."

Kiba fell on his face. He rose quickly and whined, "You got to be kidding me! Well, it doesn't matter. No matter what, she's not faster than me. Once I'm running, Sakura has no chance."

* * *

**(Team Naruto)**

Two more unconscious chuunin later, Shikamaru, Naruto and Hinata walked through the woods wearing the chuunin vests over most of their bodies. Naruto inwardly grinned, thinking that one day he would wear one of these, and it would be _his_. Truth be told, they were actually too big, as they extended below their waist, but it didn't hinder their abilities to dash through the forest. Several leaves and twigs attached themselves to Naruto's legs as he stepped through several bushes.

Shikamaru took count of the incapacitated team member. Hinata barely remained conscious, as her eyes were drooping in a lazy manner. However, her smile reflected nothing but utter contentment. Shikamaru looked away, grateful that she was still with them. He muttered loud enough for the other two to hear, "I'm going straight ahead. If I see a teacher, I'll be sure to send up one of my flash bombs to let you know."

Thus, Shikamaru disappeared into the trees ahead, with Naruto keeping pace several meters behind. Hinata relaxed in to Naruto's back, certain that with these two, their team would pass, no questions.

* * *

**(The Dead Tree Clearing)**

Turns out, several chuunin had been preparing an ambush of their own along the way to the dead tree clearing. It was only through the Nara's quick thinking and sharpened mind that they managed to outmaneuver them and escape. The task continued dragging on, taking more and more time which could have been used to treat Hinata's illness. However, the travelling time hadn't been completely wasted. On the way, Shikamaru had been preparing the kunai and explosive tags for his grand escape plan.

Finally, the arrived at the dead tree clearing, where Sasuke had stood not too long ago. Naruto and Shikamaru began setting up the area, almost depleting themselves of their weapons and explosives. It took a good ten minutes to set it up, but when it was done, they knew the plan would work. There could be no doubt, Shikamaru had thought of everything, and back up plans to those plans. Naruto and Hinata hid under the fallen tree, where they could see the assembled chuunin.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, formed a single hand sign and began his deadly game of cat and mouse.

* * *

**(Chuunin Side)**

The chuunin fidgeted restlessly. The exams were not going as expected. They expected the students to do stupid things and get caught picking flowers or in poor taijutsu fights. The chuunin who signed up for it had heard stories about the war games, had been slaughtered in the war games in their own academy years. Some considered it a right of passage after completing the chuunin exam. But these students...the first team sent in, their 'weakest member' put two chuunin into comas, and then traumatized the remainder with an insect invasion. Now this group had made three chuunin disappear into thin air. If the trend continued with this group...or worse the third team, the war games would have to be delayed or cancelled.

Two of the chuunin had carried radios to keep in touch, but they had disappeared thirty minutes ago. It was unprecedented, losing five chuunin in the first two teams. They all met up at the entrance to determine the course of action. The chuunin were concerned that the kids had disregarded the rules and killed those that were missing. After all, this was the Kyuubi's team. The Nara brat had been lured in by the boy last year, and the Hyuuga heir was now starting to fall under his control as well. The chuunin bickered amongst one another, some not sure that Naruto was the Kyuubi and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, while others wanted to bury the kid twenty feet under.

Suddenly, the radio squawked to life as one of the two unconscious chuunin radio'd in, "Mayday! Please send assistance at the dead tree clearing! We are currently bleeding out and require immediate medical assistance! Our medical supplies were taken by the Uzumaki brat and his team! Repeat, Mayday!"

Three chuunin moved out, knowing that Team Kyuubi might attack the clearing at any moment. As the three rose over the trees, they came to view the two chuunin resting among the fallen trees. Both chuunin were riddled with kunai. Their vests had been taken. Only one had a radio, which meant that the team was probably listening in on the conversation. One of the three chuunin spoke into his radio, ordering radio silence. The injured radio chuunin waved at them, but then reached back to the injuries.

The three jumped down to the dead trees below, but instantly regretted it. As their feet landed, explosive notes became visible all around them. One of the three shouted a loud curse as they were blasted into a nearby tree, knocking them immediately unconscious. The remaining chuunin looked on in horror as the clearing was filled with fire. Shikamaru rose from his hiding place nearby and climbed the tallest stump. The chuunin saw him and immediately raced after the boy.

Only the hateful chuunin remained, still convinced it was a trick by the Kyuubi to get them to drop their guard. Suddenly, the clearing was filled with dozens upon dozens of shuriken and kunai as it peppered the area. The hateful chuunin only barely avoided the attack by using a substitution. Into the hail of shuriken, Naruto ran with Hinata on his back. Hinata wore two sets of the chuunin vest and ducked her head inside as well to keep from being hit by the rain of metal weapons. Naruto winced with nearly every step. His feet were punctured several times on his own shuriken and his back was struck several times by friendly fire, but he kept moving on, trying to make it before the weapons stopped coming.

Within moments, Naruto and Hinata had both crossed the finish line.

* * *

**(Shikamaru)**

Elsewhere, Shikamaru stood with his back against the tree. The chuunin advanced towards him menacingly with kunai out and prepared to dig into the boy. The Nara grinned as he threw his last saved shuriken into the trees. The second flash bomb fell right behind the mass of chuunin. They all looked back with shock on their face. Shikamaru quickly formed the hand signs as he shouted, "**Kagemane no Jutsu **(Shadow Possession Jutsu)!"

His shadow split nine ways as he ensnared each one. He gave a lazy grin as he mocked them, "You've have fallen so utterly and completely into my trap, there's no hope of escape for you. Now, let's go to the finish line, shall we?"

Minutes later, the final chuunin saw ten figures walk together, connected by a shadow, into the clearing. The hateful chuunin stepped forward, confused and asking, "What the hell are you all doing? What the hell are you all doing? You have him standing there right behind you! Why aren't you...?"

The man looked surprised as he noticed the shadows connected to Shikamaru. The boy smirked at the chuunin as he stepped forward to beat him senseless. However, the Nara didn't falter for an instant, "I wouldn't move any further, if I were you."

He held his hands to his own throat as if he was holding knives to it with both hands. The rest of the crowd followed suit, but unlike Shikamaru who had no knife, they all held their own knives to their throats. In the short chase, the rest of the chuunin had come to believe that Shikamaru had killed the other three chuunin and prepared to gut the boy. However, Shikamaru had captured them all nicely. The hateful chuunin stopped and cursed the boy, "You bastard! You wouldn't!"

Shikamaru's tilted his head to the side, causing the mass of chuunins' blades to cut the skin a bit, "You want to bet? I'll make their sufferings painful if you don't let us through. If you do, I'll let them go without any further injury. Make your choice."

The hateful chuunin growled as he walked out in front. Within five minutes, they had all crossed the line together. The instant they crossed the line, Naruto appeared from behind the tree and shouted, "That was incredible, Shika-chan! I didn't know you could do a plan like that!"

The boy looked seriously injured, with several shuriken and kunai sticking out of his legs and arms.

The chuunin glared as one at the boy along with Shikamaru, who looked annoyed, "Don't ever call me that again. Anyway, I don't need so much praise. All I had to do was fake those guys' deaths back there."

The chuunins' expressions changed from anger to confusion. The Kagemane no jutsu vanished as Shikamaru began explaining, "It was too easy. I was the one who called you on the radio, disguising my voice to make it sound like one of your friends. Prior to doing that, I had also set up some of the explosive notes where I had left two clones for you to see. When your three chuunin got too close, I set them off. They should wake up within an hour or two with a minor concussion and some second degree burns. They won't die from those injuries, but they won't be able to continue the test. Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata had rigged up all of our remaining kunai and shuriken to rain into the forest, clearing the way for the two of them to escape to the end."

The academy team then turned to walk away. Shikamaru went towards the clearing to gather their shuriken and kunai while Naruto went to find , but the hateful chuunin shouted, "W-wait! Then, where are the three chuunin that disappeared over the course of the exam? And you aren't allowed to keep those chuunin vests!"

Shikamaru looked back and answered, "The scout should be hanging upside down near the entrance to the exam, while the two chuunin with radios shouldn't be too far away."

* * *

**(Sakura's Team)**

Shivers ran up and down Kiba's spine as he stood amongst a number of the other male students. It was like death was standing right behind him with his scythe held an inch from his throat. He couldn't breathe, the air was just so tense. He watched the other students who were joking around about Naruto's team, and they all laughed together. Well, all laughed but Kiba, who was shivering. How could they be laughing? Didn't they sense the danger...the bloodlust in the air?

Something gripped his shoulder, causing him to spin on his feet and shout in fear. But a moment later, he recognized the offender and breathed a sigh of relief. Chouji released Kiba's shoulder and grabbed another bag of chips which he scarfed into his mouth, "You know...*munch, munch, chomp, chomp*...it won't be long before Naruto's team is done. You...*Crunch, chomp* have any good ideas *chew chew gulp?*"

Kiba looked into the forest and muttered, "Those chuunin will be easy pickings for us. I'll sniff them out and we'll stay far away. Don't worry, we'll pass, no doubt."

Chouji looked over his shoulder and gave a smile, "That's not what I was talking about. You know, even if you do escape her now, we have class with her for two more years, right? And you've know that the next level, genin, is in squads of three. She may be on our team."

Kiba's shivers came back in full force as he scanned where Chouji was looking. Sakura was looking at him with those sharp, jade eyes, which brought back the ever present chill accompanied by certain death. Kiba, when telling this story to his grandchildren, would leave out the part where he fell on his knees, tearing up and begged in a whimpering tone for Chouji's aid. The Akamichi muttered, "Oy, let go of my clothes. Come on, she'll only put you in the hospital for a couple days. I mean, how bad could a girl hold a grudge, right?"

They would soon grow to learn. Suddenly, Kurenai appeared in the trees and demanded the students' attention. As soon as they all looked at her, she began, "Due to circumstances beyond our control...such as Sasuke's and Naruto's teams wiping out a third of the chuunin examiners, the war games will be put on a hold while the members recover. We will end class early today. That is all."

With that, Kurenai disappeared. Kiba felt a burning presence behind him. He would have nightmares about this day in the future. This was the day his hell began.

* * *

**(Please Review!)**

Finally, the chapter is completed. I wrote both Sasuke's, but decided not to write Sakura's team...just yet. Sorry about Kiba/Sakura feud, but I just couldn't resist. Kiba's...a bit insensitive, so I fully expected him to do something stupid. It wasn't in my plans originally, but I think it'll work better this way. As for Mizuki, there will be a reckoning for what he forced Naruto's team to endure. He probably won't be fired, but he'll be demoted for sure. Forcing a someone to go into an exam when clearly sick is bad...but it's worse when she's the daughter of a clan head. One thing you may notice is this: the rookie nine's clan abilities will be heavily reduced during the academy days. Ino can't use her possession jutsu, Shikamaru hasn't mastered his yet, and Shino can't fully control his bugs. However, all three rose above these handicaps in their own ways: Ino using poisons, Shino expanding his hive and Shikamaru using the flashbombs to extend his shadow abilities.

I'm so excited to write these three stories: Naruto Dimension, Dueling Hokages and House of Fallen Leaves. For Naruto Dimension, I'm still working on this next chapter. The Lee/Sasuke fight will be different for sure. Also, certain events in the exam room will happen very differently. I'm finally at 6000 words for that one and I've begun the next HFL (House of Fallen Leaves) chapter. I'll probably have Naruto Dimension done next.


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